We do not usually think of "Stranger Danger" when using the computer in our businesses. Still, there are times when we should consider the dangers of interacting with the web and what we can do to protect ourselves.
What are the dangers?
Malware is basically bad software out there designed to break into your computer and either damage it, steal information, or in some cases, just annoy you! A .Virus on the other hand is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without the permission or knowledge of the owner. A true virus can only spread from one computer to another in some form of executable code. It is transferred from computer to computer through connections or on a removable medium such as a floppy disk, CD, DVD, or USB drive. Worms are self-replicating computer program and uses a network to send copies of itself to other computers on the network typically without any user intervention or knowledge. Unlike a virus, it does not need to attach itself to an existing program or media.
The Trojan Horse is a class of computer threats. The software appears to perform a desirable function but in fact performances undisclosed malicious functions. Trojan Horses can be easily and unwittingly downloaded. Free software and games are the worst offenders. Spyware is software that is intended to collect information about a user, browsing habits and even passwords. Spyware and his close cousin Adware are often downloaded with "free" software. Adware or advertising-supported software automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertisements to a computer after you make a connection to a site. Crimeware is used for identity theft. It is used to access a computer user's online accounts at financial services companies usually on the servers of the institution contacted but it may reside on your system.
What Can You Do?
There is quite a mean list of villains out there but you can protect yourself. Here are 10 Tips that will help your business avoid most of the agony.
- Make sure you and your staff are educated in security, Google for "free internet security courses", they are offered by several universities such as MIT, Berkeley and other organizations. Be sure your team is fluent in security protections.
- Before you purchase software online, research and then use a reputable source. Always do a full backup before loading the new software, recovery is easier than rebuilding.
- Be careful downloading "free" software it may have a caveat. There are good applications out there but know your source.
- If you do not need an unknown attachment in your e-mail, do not open it.
- Stay current with Microsoft security patches for your computer systems.
- Be armed with both a firewall and a good anti-virus program.
- Setup your anti-virus to auto scan all e-mail attachments you receive.
- Clear your browser of internet cookies when you are finished for the day.
- Do not piggy back on public Wi-Fi for financial transactions.
- Notify customers and others when you are sending an attachment so they do not delete it to protect their computer.
When you surf the web, your computer is constantly downloading files and in some cases other software so you can use the web to its full capacity. However, at times files or programs are written by people who want harm your computer. To protect yourself from this malware you will need to make sure you are armed with a business process which includes at a minimum the ten steps above
Windows Vista, Windows XP, and later have a built-in firewall, so an additional firewall is not necessary. However, some of us still use the earlier versions which do not have this protection. To date none offer antivirus as a built-in, so make sure you have a good one. Most important, keep your protections up to date.
Source by Mike Chase
The post 10 Steps To Internet Security appeared first on IrresistibleMT.
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