"Simple rules which would help you ensure the security of your PC"

Computers are vulnerable to plagues of biblical proportions: viruses that bring down entire networks, e-mail worms that replicate at lightning speed, Trojan horses that hide inside otherwise innocent programs, hackers that take over computers, and more. With this amount of risk that every computer as well as its user faces, data and hardware integrity is in serious jeopardy. The following simple methods are the easiest cure to this wide spreading plague that endangers our data.

I. First Antivirus then a Computer: Without an anti-virus a computer is like a safe containing gold bars without a door, to say the least. It’s not enough to have the anti-virus software installed (if you don’t have an anti-virus package, stop reading right now and get one); you also need to keep it up with new viruses as they emerge.

II. Ahhh….Nice Attachments! You get a message you think is from a friend with what looks like a cool file attached, so you click on it. Next thing you know, your computer gets Typhoid and starts spewing out infected e-mails to everyone in your address book. Never! I repeat, never trust an e-mail from an address that you don’t recognize.

III. Don’t tell me….file downloads too! BEWARE of any Web site that requires you to download software to view a page, unless it’s something familiar like a Flash plug-in or Acrobat Reader.

IV. I knew it!…Spy ware and Pop ups. Like Trojan horse programs, spy ware secretly installs itself when you download software applications, which are normally associated with file-swapping; it tracks your movements online and delivers ads based on where you surf. Pop-up ads can also exploit security flaws in Internet Explorer. Fortunately, there are tools that can protect you: For example, Ad-aware blocks spy ware and Stop Zilla takes care of pop-up ads.

V. Aahmmm…Spammers. Unsolicited commercial e-mail is more than just a nuisance; it’s also a major source of virus infections. Filters like Symantec’s Norton Anti-Spam 2004 and Network Associates’ McAfee Spam Killer 5 help trap the nastiest Spam e-mail that even your anti-virus software might miss.

VI. Patches for my OS?? E-mail-borne worms and other Trojan viruses like to exploit security holes in Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft programs. To prevent this Microsoft issues many critical updates on weekly and monthly basis to fix these flaws that many users ignore. DO NOT IGNORE these updates. Also DO NOT disable the automatic windows update option. Last January, the ”Slammer worm” exploited a vulnerability that Microsoft had fixed at least six months earlier. But thousands of infected computers--including some at Microsoft--didn’t have the patch installed. Run the Windows Update program once a week and whenever Microsoft issues a warning and it is recommended that you enable the Automatic Windows Update option.

VII. Rescue Disk…The only cure for Dying patients. When things go really bad, a boot or rescue disk is your first step to recovery. At minimum, you’ll want to put the basic elements of your operating system on a floppy disk or Zip media, so you can bypass the hard disk at start-up. THE BEST OPTION IS to Use your anti-virus program to create a rescue disk you can use when your system gets infected. Label it with a date and store it near your system where you won’t lose it or else…..

VIII. Hoaxers > Hackers. There are more hoaxers than hackers on the Internet, and more bogus ”e-mail virus alerts” than actual viruses. Even real virus threats are typically blown out of proportion by the media. Type the name of the alleged virus into a search engine to see if any of the major security vendors have issued an alert, and visit the virus hoax pages at http://F-Secure.com and http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org.

IX. Ladies & Gentlemen….The Honorable Firewall. A firewall is like a Security Officer for your computer--it checks every ID at the door and won’t let anything in or out until you give the thumbs up. Symantec and Network Associates both offer personal firewall packages. But a better deal is an Internet security suite that combines anti-virus, firewall, ad blockers, Spam fighting, and other useful applications.

X. Your SWAT Unit. Every one should have an extra hard disk drive or a set of Rewritable CDRs for a copy of your data. Back up your data files at least weekly (daily if you’re running a business). This way even if your luck goes for a vacation or you fall victim to a virus or hacker attack, you’ll escape with only minimum damage. But if you fail in doing so then I assure you that you will pay heavily!

The writer is an IT graduate & currently doing his Masters from University of East London, England. He can be contacted at habib@itinsight.info