How to Protect Computers on the Internet
Three Tools that can be used to Secure an Internet System
Oct 3, 2008
Systems connected to the Internet should always have a firewall, anti-virus software and spyware protection. The need for these components and what they do is often misunderstood. This article will explain the importance of them and how they can be obtained.
Why use a Firewall?
Hackers sometimes try to connect to a network and take over computers to get personal information. Some will try to crash a system just to test their abilities.
That becomes a lot harder if they cannot even see the computer. Firewalls can be either software running on a computer or an actual network device. It prevents other computers from seeing or connecting to a machine. The firewall can be configured to keep track of attack. If it is necessary to connect to a computer over the Internet, the firewall can be setup to allow only connections from specific machines.
Many prefer to install and configure a software firewall. This allows for an easier setup since most of the configuration is normally automated. Some are willing to work a little harder on the setup and pay a extra for a hardware firewall because they are usually faster and will not slow down the performance of the computer.
Why is Anti-Virus Software Important?
When sending and receiving email messages, malicious attachments can run and do damage to a computer without the user even knowing it. This has created additional problems for those who innocently forward those emails without knowing about their hidden cargo.
Anti-Virus software will scan such messages before they are opened to protect the computer. The virus can sometimes be cleaned but the message or its attachments might have to be quarantined to prevent problems. Most anti-virus software will protect the computer regardless of where the malicious software is coming from. Whether email, internet or flash drive.
What is Spyware?
Some programs installed through the web browser or other programs might configure additional software without informing the user. These applications might share information over the Internet about how the computer is being used and may even allow remote control of the system.
To prevent this violation of privacy, spyware software can detect these hidden installs and remove them. This has become a much more prevalent problem in recent years. Even reputable organizations are using this kind of software to collect data about how people use applications or the Internet. Personal vigilance in protecting privacy involves not only using spyware software correctly but also carefully reading software agreements especially if the programs are free.
Final Security Tips
New ways are always being developed to attack computers, so all the tools used to protect a computer should be updated regularly as well. It’s a good idea to update Firewall, Anti-virus and spyware products monthly or even weekly. The products can be purchased with yearly subscriptions which should also be kept up to maintain a good level of protection.
Many prefer to enable auto-update features so they do not forget to do it themselves. Before purchasing three separate products to sufficiently protect a computer, consider purchasing a single product that does all three of these tasks. Two popular products to look at are Norton Internet Security and Windows OneCare.
Take the time to compare costs and features of the many products available in this category and always consider the effect they will have on computer performance.
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