15 Tips Designed To Repel The Nastiest Intruders
As the number and complexity of computer-based attacks continue to skyrocket, securing your PC now requires a multipronged approach to cover all security bases. Would-be intruders will try every trick of the cracker trade to access your valuable information, and if you don’t properly secure that information, any old trick will work.
If you have yet to suffer a major intrusion or privacy breach, you could easily believe that it can’t happen to you. But the unfortunate reality for most computer users is that it’s a matter of when it will happen, not if it will happen. If there’s an unsecured computer out there that’s not isolated from other people, it’s a sure bet that someone will find a way into it sooner or later.
To enjoy all the conveniences of today’s computers and the Internet, we must address the inherent security risks that come with those conveniences. Thankfully, the resources to deal with those risks are freely available and easy to use, but you need to willingly and actively use them to stay protected. The following tips will help keep your PC and data safe from the risks you’re likely to encounter.
Implement General Security Measures
Worms, viruses, and spyware tend to nab most of the headlines when it comes to security, but properly securing your computer means much more than using antivirus and anti-spyware programs. These programs won’t necessarily protect you against network-based attacks, nor will they protect you from scams that try to steal your identity and other information. Security should entail several lines of defense so your data is protected even if someone manages to break through the first line or even the second line. With a secure network, secure OS (operating system), secure passwords, and secure files, you can build a fortress that’s tough to penetrate.Update Windows. One of your PC's most vulnerable elements is the OS, and if your OS isn't secure, you're asking for heaps of trouble. Because crackers constantly find new holes and exploits in Windows, you must keep your Windows version updated at all times by directing Windows Update to automatically notify you as soon as high priority updates are available.
You'll find these settings in Windows Me by clicking Start, Settings, Control Panel, and Automatic Updates; in Windows XP, click Start, Control Panel, System (in Performance And Maintenance category), and Automatic Updates. You also can visit windowsupdate.microsoft.com at any time to search for and install Windows updates.
Use a firewall. The first line of defense against Internet-based threats is a properly configured firewall, which prevents unauthorized access to your PC and/or the computers on your network. Both hardware and software firewalls are available, and although high-end hardware firewalls are considered strong, be aware that many basic firewalls geared for home use (such as those included with inexpensive routers) only monitor inbound traffic. Because Trojan horses and other malicious code can send information from your PC out to the Internet, it’s important to protect both inbound and outbound traffic.
Several free software firewalls, including Sygate Personal Firewall (smb.sygate.com) and ZoneAlarm ( do a nice job of monitoring both types of traffic. These third-party software firewalls also are more effective than the firewall included with WinXP SP2 (Service Pack 2), which doesn’t block any outbound traffic.
Avoid phishing scams. As if viruses and spyware weren’t enough to cause stress, you also have to worry about phishing. In these scams, rogue email messages or pop-ups are disguised to look like important messages from legitimate companies or organizations. The messages typically inform you that your personal or financial information needs updating at the organization’s Web site, and the message will either include a form in its body or provide a Web link to a Web-based form. Although these messages and forms often look exactly like something you’d expect to receive from your bank, online payment service, ISP (Internet service provider), or another company, they’re actually imitations designed to steal credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, and other information that scammers can use to steal your identity and make fraudulent purchases.
To avoid phishing scams, never provide sensitive information via an email or pop-up message. If you’re not sure whether the message is legitimate, contact the company by phone to ask if it really needs the information. Also, to visit a company’s Web site, don’t click any links inside a message; instead, open a new Web browser window and type the company’s URL (uniform resource locator) in the Address field.
Secure your wireless network. Unlike wired networks, wireless networks require extra security steps to ensure that people within range of your network can’t enter your network without your authorization. Always change the default administrator username and password on your access point because crackers are well aware of the default names included with popular hardware devices. Disable your SSID (Service Set Identifier) broadcast, enable MAC (Media Access Control) filtering, and finally, use WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) or WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) to encrypt the data flowing across your wireless network.
Use strong passwords. Although it's convenient, using easy-to-remember passwords such as pet names and birthdays is like standing on a street corner and handing out every item in your wallet. After all, crackers can easily guess passwords that reflect your personal life, and they can even use programs that compare your password against every word in a dictionary.
Use passwords with long combinations of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and even punctuation (if allowed). To keep track of all your passwords, use a secure password database, such as Password Safe (pass wordsafe.sourceforge.net). If you need to remember certain passwords, devise a unique lettering and numbering system that will help you remember them.
Perform regular backups. One of the most devastating effects of computer security breaches is the loss of data, particularly when a virus or worm causes data corruption or severe system instability. Even if you protect your computer with regularly updated security software and a firewall, you can’t guarantee that an attack won’t harm your data because crackers always work diligently to find new methods of destruction that can’t be initially stopped by existing security tools.
You can avoid data loss by performing regular backups that store all of your important files or even create a complete image of your primary hard drive. Depending on the amount of data you need to back up, you can use recordable/rewriteable discs (CDs or DVDs), an online storage service, or an external hard drive. Regardless of your chosen backup method, always keep your backups in a safe place away from your PC.
Manage your cookies. Most of us have a love-hate affair with cookies, those little text files that Web servers store on your PC. On one hand, cookies are huge time-savers when it comes to saving settings and other information for regularly visited sites. On the other hand, some sites let third parties use these cookies (or use their own) to track your surfing habits for marketing and other purposes. Although this privacy invasion isn’t necessarily as severe as other online threats, it’s still an invasion, and you can certainly take steps to prevent it.
To change your cookie settings in Internet Explorer, open the Tools menu, click Internet Options, choose the Privacy tab, and click Advanced. Select the Override Automatic Cookie Handling checkbox, choose an acceptable level for first-party and third-party cookies (either Accept, Block, or Prompt), click OK, and then click OK again. Experiment with different settings to see how they affect your browsing experience.
Shred sensitive files. When you discard a sensitive paper document in the trash, you know it doesn’t really disappear because anyone could sift through your garbage and retrieve the information on that paper. The same concept applies in Windows, where if you delete a file (or send it to your Recycle Bin and then empty the Recycle Bin), Windows actually keeps that file on your hard drive until it needs the space for other data.
This means that someone with recovery software or hardware can find your previously deleted files, but like paper shredders, data shredders can prevent someone from retrieving deleted files by using complex algorithms that overwrite the data in files many times. For free, effective shredding, download Eraser from Heidi Computers ( and make sure you run a free space wipe on all of your drives to shred all previously deleted data.
Use encryption. As our lives grow increasingly computerized, many of our personal and financial details inevitably appear on our PCs. Although many people think that these details will never end up in the wrong hands, imagine the hassle and danger involved if they did. Using encryption, you can still keep all of that sensitive data on your hard drive, but it will be useless to anyone but you. And the good news is that encryption is easier than ever to use. To get started, try Blowfish Advanced CS (free; bfacs.sourceforge.net) or AxCrypt (free; axcrypt.sourceforge.net).
Combat Malicious Code
Malicious code, including viruses, Trojan horses, worms, and spyware, can cause problems ranging from system instability and privacy breaches to outright theft and data destruction. Protecting your Internet-connected system against these threats isn’t just a good idea, it’s a must.Beware of email attachments. You’ve heard it many times before: Don’t open suspicious email attachments. With all of this publicity, you’d think that most virus and worm writers would’ve moved on to another data-sending medium to spread their malicious creations, but the move really isn’t necessary. People still click suspicious attachments, regardless of the warnings, and even those who heed the warnings remain at risk because virus writers can easily camouflage their messages to appear legitimate.
Now that free email services offer the ability to send massive attachments, the risk of receiving malicious code through email will probably escalate. You can avoid infection by never opening an attachment unless you can verify that the sender intended to send it to you. If verification isn’t possible, save the attachment to your hard drive and scan it with your antivirus software.
Install and use anti-spyware software. Spyware, adware, and similar privacy threats are so prevalent today that without software to find and eliminate these threats, your PC can become clogged with this intrusive code in a matter of weeks. To battle spyware and its brethren, download and install both Ad-aware SE Personal (free; and Spybot Search & Destroy (free; Perform weekly manual scans with both programs or schedule the programs to run automatically.
Avoid spyware. Most anti-spyware works by removing spyware after it’s already on your PC, which means that you could experience data theft or other damage between scans. By taking a couple of steps to prevent spyware infection, you can limit potential problems that anti-spyware programs may not be able to fix until it’s too late.
First, avoiding opening obvious spam messages or clicking unfamiliar or strange-looking URLs (hover your pointer over a link and look at the lower-left corner of your browser window to see the actual URL). Second, never install software without verifying that the developer is legitimate. If you’re not familiar with the software, search for the application’s name at Google Groups (groups.google.com) to read about other users’ experiences with it. If the application is notorious for installing spyware, you’ll likely find plenty of complaints about it.
Install and use antivirus software. Chances are pretty good you already have antivirus software installed on your PC--most PC users do. However, not everyone actually uses the software. You should configure your antivirus software to automatically start with Windows so that your data is protected at all times. Also, configure it to automatically scan incoming email messages, documents, and program files.
If you can’t remember to run weekly virus scans, use the software’s built-in scheduling tool to schedule scans one or two days per week, and make sure your PC is on during those times.
On the other hand, if you don’t have antivirus software, immediately download and install Grisoft’s AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition (free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php).
Update your security software. The effectiveness of your anti-spyware and antivirus software plummets when you don’t retrieve updates for them on a regular basis because new threats emerge worldwide daily. You can set most security programs to automatically search for and install new updates, or at least have them remind you to check for updates. Configure your antivirus software to check for new updates daily and check for anti-spyware updates each time you perform your weekly anti-spyware scan.
Avoid fraudulent anti-spyware applications. Amazingly, the very software that claims to protect you against spyware can actually install spyware on your PC. Legitimate anti-spyware programs--such as Ad-aware, Spybot Search & Destroy, PestPatrol, Spy Sweeper, and a few others--are vastly outnumbered by fraudulent programs plagued by false advertising, ineffective scanners, out-of-date databases, and worse. In addition, companies market many of these imposter programs using names that closely resemble the names of legitimate anti-spyware, so be careful before downloading any anti-spyware program that’s not listed among these tips. You also can reference Spyware Warrior ( which maintains an active list of rogue and suspect anti-spyware applications.
Spread It Around
These tips cover most basic security issues, but you must always remain proactive in the ongoing fight against intruders. This means extending the concepts we discussed here to other areas of your computing so that you leave no element unprotected.For example, now that you know you should regularly update Windows and security software, don’t forget about other programs because they also might require regular updating to patch security holes. The Windows update process will address other Microsoft products, but you’ll need to search for updates for non-Microsoft products. For instance, researchers recently discovered two major security flaws in the popular Firefox browser--flaws that join more than 40 other Firefox security advisories previously issued.
Intrusions are most effective for crackers when they go unnoticed, so never fall into the trap of thinking your computer is safe if everything is running smoothly. Today’s code is swift and silent, intent on stealing your passwords, financial details, and personal information without a hint of commotion. Use suspicion as a perpetual tool to keep these stealthy attacks at bay.
When you develop security habits, the overall process becomes second nature. A cursory glance at the 15 tips we provided might make you think that security is a chore, but it’s really not a big deal once you finally drop all the pieces of the puzzle in place.
Security SuretyPage 111/8/2007 7:18:00 AM