Protecting your computer

Frequently Asked Questions about Safe Computing Practices

Answers:

How can I protect my computer on the Internet?

There are three tools that can all be used in conjunction with general safe computing practices in order to protect your computer: firewall, anti-virus software, and anti-spyware software.

What are general safe computing practices?

Any time your computer is connected to a network (such as the Internet), it is vulnerable. It is your responsibility to ensure that your computer is safe to be on said network. In order to protect your computer, it is important to adhere to the following practices:

  • Do not install any program unless you are 100% certain that you can trust the source, that it is virus-free, and that you absolutely need it.
  • Do not give out any personal information in response to an email under any circumstances. You never know who else might be reading your emails.
  • Do not open attachments in emails ever under any circumstances unless you are expecting the attachment, know exactly what it contains, and have scanned it to ensure that it does not contain a virus.
  • Install critical updates to your operating system (Windows, Mac OS, Linux, etc.) when they become available rather than waiting to do several updates at a time.

What is a firewall?

A firewall acts as a barrier that protects one or more computers "inside" or "behind" the firewall from attacks originating "outside" or "in front of" the firewall. There are two types of firewalls: Hardware and software. A hardware firewall is a physical device that is placed inline between the "inside" and the "outside" networks. The "outside" network is generally the Internet, and the "inside" network is generally a Local Area Network (LAN) or a single computer. A software firewall is a program that runs on an individual computer, protecting it from everything "outside" of itself.[Read More].

What are the advantages of hardware vs. software firewalls?

The advantage of a hardware firewall is that you can configure one firewall and protect an entire LAN (or "inside" network) from the Internet, whereas software firewalls require that each computer be configured independently of the rest. The advantage of software firewalls is that they protect individual computers on a LAN from each other, whereas a hardware firewall only protects computers on a LAN from the Internet (or "outside" network).

How can I obtain firewall software?

There are several freely downloadable firewall software packages available such as Kerio Personal Firewall and ZoneAlarm. Kerio Personal Firewall provides more control and is geared for advanced users, while ZoneAlarm is simple enough for a beginner. Mac users can refer to this list of software firewalls for Mac OS.

What is a virus?

A virus is a program or piece of code that is loaded onto a computer without the user's knowledge and runs against his or her wishes. Viruses can also replicate themselves. All computer viruses are manmade. A simple virus that can make a copy of itself over and over again is relatively easy to produce. Even such a simple virus is dangerous because it will quickly use all available memory and bring the system to a halt. An even more dangerous type of virus is one capable of transmitting itself across networks and bypassing security systems. There are other malware programs such as Trojans and worms that are malicious in different ways.

How do I obtain anti-virus software?

There are many anti-virus software packages available. Some of the most well-known are Norton/Symantec Anti-Virus, McAfee VirusScan, Trend Micro PC-cillin, and F-Prot. About.com has a list of their top choices for anti-virus software. Some anti-virus software programs can be downloaded and evaluated for a limited amount of time, while others must be purchased, and yet others are freeware or shareware. Trend Micro even has a web site that will scan your computer for viruses at no charge.

What is spyware?

Also called adware, spyware is any software that covertly gathers user information through the user's Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes. Spyware applications are typically bundled as a hidden component of freeware or shareware programs that can be downloaded from the Internet. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else. Often, that information is used to generate pop-up advertisements for products/services that the user may be interested in. Spyware can also gather information about e-mail addresses and even passwords and credit card numbers. [Read more]

How do I obtain anti-spyware software?

There are at least two well-known anti-spyware utilities that are freely downloadable:

How do I know I have a problem with viruses or adware

Some telltale signs that you have a virus, worm, Trojan horse, spyware, or adware are a sudden decrease in system performance, excessive pop-up windows when your computer is online, and other sudden changes in the way your computer behaves that are not a result of changes you've made intentionally. In general, unless you are certain that you do not have any viruses or adware, you should operate under the assumption that you do.

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