PC Security - part 1
Unless your PC is kept in isolation there is the potential for malicious software to infect you. In the old days before the internet, such viruses were caught from infected floppy disks. Today the main threat is from being connected to the internet, though ‘Trojans’ can potentially come in from bootleg CDs.
Some simple precautions:
Do not leave a CD or a floppy disk on your PC when you shut it down. The next time you start it up, your PC may try to boot from the CD or floppy and any boot activated viruses will load themselves onto your PC. This is a very unlikely threat since most boot activated viruses have died out. But it is a sensible precaution.
Only buy and load software from reputable sources. The product should come shrink-wrapped and on a CD that looks professional, with no sticky labels on it. Don’t buy from car boot sales!
Only download files from a reputable web site, and then only download what you are in need of, not whatever gets offered to you.
Do NOT open up email attachments unless you are expecting them. Treat all unexpected files as suspicious. You can always ask the sender whether they sent the email before you open it!
Do install anti-virus software. You can install free software from www.grisoft.com, but other packages eg PC-cillin, Mcafee, Norton may have more regular updates or extra features.
Do configure your anti-virus software so that it automatically checks for new virus information every time you connect to the internet
Do keep paying your annual fee for virus information (about £5 per annum), since the greatest threat is from new viruses, not the older ones.
Keep your windows software up to date with the latest security patches from Microsoft. This should be the default setting on your PC, so always allow security patches to download and be installed.
Visit www.microsoft.com/security/home/basics.asp to learn more.
If you are normally on the internet for more than half an hour at a time it is important to install a personal firewall. Some antivirus products come with an integrated firewall. If yours doesn’t then you can buy one or download a free one from www.zonelabs.com (the free one is there just look)
Take regular backups of your personal data, and keep at least the last three backups.
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