These are the seven essentials:
- Use a firewall.
- Keep your software up to date. - Use an up to date antivirus program. - Use an up to date anti-spyware program. - Only download from trusted sites. - Only install from genuine CDROM's.
- DO NOT open email attachements unless you know the sender and you are expecting the attachment-- even then, be suspicious!!
Now, let's take a look at each of these in more detail....
FIREWALLS
A firewall is a software program or piece of hardware that helps screen out hackers, viruses, and worms that try to reach your computer over the Internet.
NOTE: A firewall is essential, but you also need antivirus software and antispyware software.
• If you use a computer at home, the most effective and important first step you can take to help protect your computer is to turn on a firewall.
• If you have more than one computer connected in the home, or if you have a small-office network, it is important to protect every computer. You should have a hardware firewall (such as a router) to protect your network, but you should also use a software firewall on each computer to help prevent the spread of a virus in your network if one of the
computers becomes infected.
(If your computer is part of a business, school, or other organizational network, you should follow the policy established by the network administrator. In some cases, network administrators may configure all computers on the network so that you cannot turn on the firewall while your computer is connected to the network. In those cases, you should ask your network administrator for guidance on whether you need a firewall on your computer.)
Q. Why do I need a firewall?
A. If your computer is not protected when you connect to the Internet, hackers can gain access to personal information on your computer. They can install code on your computer that destroys files or causes malfunctions. They can also use your computer to cause problems on other home and business computers connected to the Internet. A firewall helps to screen out many kinds of malicious Internet traffic before it reaches your computer.
Some firewalls can also help to prevent other people from using your computer to attack other computers without your knowledge. Using a firewall is important no matter how you connect to the Internet — with a dial-up modem, cable modem, or digital subscriber line (DSL or ADSL).
Q. How can I tell if my computer already has a firewall?
A. If you have Windows Vista or Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) running on your computer, you can check to see if your firewall is turned on through the Windows Security Center:
1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Security Center, and then click Windows Firewall.
If you have Windows XP, but you don't have Service Pack 2 running on your computer, you can download it by visiting Microsoft Update. You can also take the following steps to make sure the firewall is turned on:
1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Network and Internet Connections, and then click Network Connections.
protect.
4. In the task pane on the left, under Network Tasks, click Change settings of this connection (or right-click the connection you want to help protect, and then click Properties).
5. On the Advanced tab, under Internet Connection Firewall, make sure the box is checked next to Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet. If a check mark is in the box, the firewall is on. If the box is clear, the firewall is off and your computer is potentially vulnerable on the Internet.
If you have a different version of Windows, such as Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition, or Windows 98, you should obtain a hardware or software firewall from another company and install it.
You can check the manuals of your home networking devices, such as wireless access points or broadband routers, to determine if they include built-in hardware firewalls.
If you don't know if a software firewall is on your computer, you can check in the All Programs folder. Click Start, and then click All Programs. Look for a firewall program. Some common brand names for software firewalls for home users include McAfee, Symantec, ZoneAlarm, and Tiny Personal Firewall.
Q. How do I start using the firewall in Windows XP?
A. If you're running Windows XP SP2, Windows Firewall is already turned on. For more information, see Understanding Windows Firewall.
If you're running Windows XP without SP2, you can download SP2 from Microsoft Update for free.
Q. Will a firewall protect my wireless network?
A. A firewall will help protect a computer on a wireless network, but will not restrict access to the network itself. You should configure your wireless network to use a network key using either Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) or wired equivalent privacy (WEP). For more information, see How to keep others from hijacking your home wireless network or consult the manual for your wireless networking devices.
SOFTWARE UPDATES
Why don't you keep your software up to date? It takes too much time? It's too complicated?
You must (not should) keep your operating system software up to date. If you think it takes too much time, think about how much time it will take to have your hard drive reformatted and everything re-installed. If you think it's too
complicated, nothing could be farther from the truth.
Microsoft Update is a web-based software update service for Microsoft Windows operating systems. It offers a location for downloading critical system component updates, service packs, security fixes, patches and free upgrades to selected Windows components. Additionally, it automatically detects the user's hardware and provides driver updates when available, and can offer beta versions of some Microsoft programs.
Most new updates and patches go "live" on Microsoft Update very soon after they are released. Alternatively, fixes and updates can always be downloaded manually from the Microsoft website.
Both the Microsoft Update and previous Windows Update websites require Internet Explorer or an Internet Explorer shell replacement as well as the use of an ActiveX control. It is coded using the Microsoft scripting languages VBScript and JScript, and is compatible with Netscape 8.0, which uses the Internet Explorer rendering engine for that particular website. It is also compatible with ActiveX plug-ins and extensions for other Windows webbrowsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Opera. As of July 2005, both Windows Update and Microsoft Update require Windows Genuine Advantage to be installed for users updating any version of Windows XP or Windows Server 2003.
Lifecycle update support
Mainstream support will end two years after the next version of the following product are released (eg. Windows XP to Windows Vista). Extended support will end five years after mainstream support ends.
In late 2004, Microsoft released Windows Update 5 for Windows XP, which includes Service Pack 2 and several major changes to the update application. Users without broadband access can order a CD of XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) from the Microsoft website; while the CD was at one time completely free of charge, as of July 2006 there is a small charge for shipping (the packaging encourages sharing the CD with other users of Windows XP). After installing SP2, one should then go to the Microsoft website to check for newer updates—dozens have been released since SP2.
In 2005, Microsoft introduced the first beta of an optional Microsoft Update that delivers updates for supported operating systems, plus Microsoft Office (Office XP and Office 2003 all-user installations only), Exchange and SQL Server. This responded to a common criticism among many customers that it was too difficult to get all the necessary updates from the various Microsoft product websites. Since 2006, Microsoft is also adding the distribution of Windows Defender anti-spyware definition updates to Microsoft Update.
In Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, the web site is no longer used to provide a user interface for selecting and downloading updates. It has been replaced with a Windows Update control panel that provides similar functionality.
There is some controversy over Microsoft Update's requirement of the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) program. Treated as an update, the software analyzes the user's computer and determines if their copy of Windows XP is genuine. If the software determines that the copy is pirated, it offers the user a chance to reveal where they bought their copy in exchange for a reduced price legitimate copy of Windows XP. Microsoft officially states that using the Automatic Updates feature to install security updates does not require WGAvalidation. It was originally believed that it would not prevent users of unchecked systems from receiving critical and security updates through the Windows Update service, because Microsoft deemed the security and reputation risk from unpatched systems greater than the loss of income from pirated copies. However this has not been the case.
Unofficial, third-party alternatives to Microsoft Update do exist. Some, such as WindizUpdate, aim to provide better support for alternative web browsers and updates without the requirement of WGA. However, the website supports only 32-bit English Windows.
