Another PC Rule Post
When people find out what I do for a living I am most often asked about viruses. I am constantly amazed to find out that people have anti-virus software on their machine but never set it up. Most of the time I find it is a trial version of either Symantec or McAfee software but people just take for granted that it is a full version and updates and scans by its self.
Depending on where you bought the PC the store may have set it up for you but when the 30-90 day trial is up, so is your protection. Updates are posted almost every day and a virus scan should be run at least once a week. When I first started in the network Security business updates were only once a month and you ran a scan every quarter. The ability to write a virus has become much easier as coding software has become simpler to understand and use. Now anyone can write a virus just by downloading a script and making a few modifications to personalize it.
Currently the threat to computer security is not just from a virus but is combined with trojons, spyware, scripts and phishing which can be delivered in a web site from cookies on the web page or just play on your good nature in an e-mail. Much of this can be prevented just by educating yourself and other users as to good computer practices.
Keep your operating system up to date with the latest security patches.
Update your Anti-Virus software to have the latest signatures at least once a week.
Use the free firewall in windows XP or download one of the free ones.
Do not open e-mail with attachments from people you don’t know or e-mails that seem out of character from the sender.
Please monitor your kids especially teens as they like to turn off firewalls and antivirus because it “slows my music down loads” or “ it makes my game run slow” True statements but that is where many virus writers put their new stuff to see how well it works.
Depending on where you bought the PC the store may have set it up for you but when the 30-90 day trial is up, so is your protection. Updates are posted almost every day and a virus scan should be run at least once a week. When I first started in the network Security business updates were only once a month and you ran a scan every quarter. The ability to write a virus has become much easier as coding software has become simpler to understand and use. Now anyone can write a virus just by downloading a script and making a few modifications to personalize it.
Currently the threat to computer security is not just from a virus but is combined with trojons, spyware, scripts and phishing which can be delivered in a web site from cookies on the web page or just play on your good nature in an e-mail. Much of this can be prevented just by educating yourself and other users as to good computer practices.
Keep your operating system up to date with the latest security patches.
Update your Anti-Virus software to have the latest signatures at least once a week.
Use the free firewall in windows XP or download one of the free ones.
Do not open e-mail with attachments from people you don’t know or e-mails that seem out of character from the sender.
Please monitor your kids especially teens as they like to turn off firewalls and antivirus because it “slows my music down loads” or “ it makes my game run slow” True statements but that is where many virus writers put their new stuff to see how well it works.
posted by Old Army | 12:42 PM
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