Why would someone care what information is on your home computer?
Information thieves are constantly looking for credit card numbers, bank account information and anything else that will allow them to use your money to buy things for themselves. This is one of the forms of identity theft.
What else are information thieves looking for besides your personal information?
They may want to use your Internet connection or your hard drive space (your C-drive). They may be using your computer as one of many they have gained access to. By using several computers, it is harder for anyone to figure out where problems are coming from.
They can also go after business computers, but home computers are generally an easier target, because of their general lack of security. They can get in through open ports that you are not even aware of. Internet thieves are, more often than not, looking for high-speed connections (cable and DSL) to the Internet. But don’t let that give you a feeling of comfort if you have a dial-up connection – they’ll take that too, even though the connections get turned off and on.
What methods of attack do you need to be aware of?
Intrusions into your computer may come in the form of a virus or spyware. It may also come in an email message, generally in an attachment, or from a website, or from a floppy disk or from a CD. This can happen when you are on the Internet and download information, games or programs to your home computer or when you read something from a floppy or CD.
How will you know?
Generally a virus will cause your computer to run slower, or do something different than it has been doing. Spyware can also do this. There are anti-virus programs and spyware removal programs to rid your computer of both of these types of attack. However, you have to make sure they are kept up-to-date to identify the most current viruses and spyware, and that you schedule them to run, or run them yourself on a regular basis.
So what can you do to make your computer be more secure?
- Install a fire wall. This will check all incoming and outgoing Internet traffic, as well as anything from other people’s computers to yours.
- Install anti-virus software. Be sure and install the updates to keep your anti-virus software current. New viruses are being created all the time. Remember anti-virus software protects against viruses; it does not protect against spyware. Be sure to run it on a regular basis.
- Install spyware removal software. Be sure to keep it updated to be current. And the same thing here - spyware removal programs protect against spyware and are not effective against viruses. Also be sure to run it on a regular basis.
- Install your software updates. Usually when the software loaded on your computer needs an update, you are notified when you sign on to your computer that updates are ready to install.
- Backup your important information. These are your data files and folders; it is information that would be difficult for you to re-create. They can be copied to a floppy disk or a CD for storage. You generally don’t have to backup the software that came with your computer as long as it is on the installation CDs that came with your computer.
- Be careful when opening attachments to your email and downloading files from the Internet. Knowing who sent or created it, and that it is a known and trusted source are vital. You can also run a virus check against it to be sure.
- Make sure your passwords are unique. The best passwords use a combination of alphabetic and numeric characters and even special characters if allowed. But even the most complicated passwords can be compromised. It is best to not share them with others or write them down. That’s not always possible, so use your best judgment on this matter.
Viruses and spyware can dramatically slow down your computer and Internet connection speeds. Sometimes they are well-hidden.
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Did you know that 9 out of 10 computers have spyware on them?