Protect Your Computer
and Your Business
Part 1

E-mail viruses are still going strong, and the scourge of spyware/adware continues to grow. There are several things you can do to help keep your computer, your business and your personal identity safe. While there are no guarantees, these suggestions will help minimize your risk and help you recover if you are attacked. In the first of two articles, we will focus on software issues; next month’s article will focus on recommended habits and behaviors.

1. Antivirus software: Use it, period. And be sure to keep it updated. Although I have gripes with it, Norton Antivirus (http://www.symantec.com) is a good option. Use the automatic update feature and have it perform a full system scan at least monthly (weekly would be better).

2. Firewall software. I use Zone Alarm Pro (http://www.zonealarm.com). It can be irritating while you’re training in the program, but it is certainly worth the effort. Basically, it asks you if it’s okay every time a program tries to access the Internet from your computer. You can answer this several ways. In addition to a yes or no answer, you can tell it to remember your response, so that you don’t have to keep answering for the same program (for example, you always want Internet Explorer to be able to access the Internet). It is important to pay attention to this (and not just answer yes automatically), because this could be the first indication that you have spyware or adware installed on your computer. It also asks when a program on the Internet tries to access your computer; it’s pretty rare that I want this, so it’s helpful to see who or when someone is trying to access my computer.

3. Protect against malware software. No matter how well your antivirus and firewall programs work, there are companies and people out there finding lots of ingenious ways to use your computer and access your private data. In addition to hackers, there is a category of software called spyware that people use to monitor what you do with your computer (some companies use it to target advertising to you). Microsoft finally has a program that is excellent for detecting this type of software. At the time of this writing, it is free for everyone at the Microsoft download site (go to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads and search for Windows AntiSpyware).

4. Keep Windows updated. The best way to do this is to have automatic updates turned on. To do it manually, go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com, then click on Product Updates. People are always finding new holes and new ways to use features in unintended ways, so Microsoft updates its software to protect users. Make sure you always run the Critical Updates. Only update the Recommended Updates if you’re experiencing a specific problem. Don’t update drivers (go to the original manufacturer’s site and get the most current driver from there if you need a driver). For more ideas from Microsoft, visit their security page http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.mspx.

5. Update Microsoft Office (http://office.microsoft.com/ProductUpdates/default.aspx), especially Outlook. I try to do this every couple of weeks.

6. Stop using Internet Explorer and use an alternative browser. There are just too many people finding holes in Explorer for Microsoft to keep up. I use Firefox—it’s available free from http://www.mozilla.org.

7. Clean out cookies and other temporary Internet files regularly. I use a software program to do this automatically every time I close my browser. Besides controlling cookies, it stops those annoying pop-up windows.

8. Change the security settings on software, especially your browser (like Internet Explorer). Although there are times that I have to change these to lower security levels for certain activities or Web sites, and there are some Web sites that work poorly or not at all (which I consider their loss, not mine), it is worth the effort for my peace of mind. For Internet Explorer, I have my security settings on high and my privacy settings on medium-high. (In Internet Explorer, click on Tools, Internet Options, Security tab to change these settings. If you have version 6 or later, there’s also a Privacy tab.)

9. Manage your logon IDs in Windows 2000 and Windows XP. Disable the Guest account and rename the Administrator account.

10. Disable File Sharing in Windows. Depending on your version of Windows, it will be somewhere in the Network settings.

11. Test your system defenses. There are Web sites that will test your system and tell you how vulnerable you are to different risks (http://www.grc.com – click on Shields Up! or http://snoop.cdt.org/). You should also test your e-mail to make sure your antivirus and other protective measures are working (go to http://www.gfi.com/emailsecuritytest/ or http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/TestEmail/).

These steps will go a long way to providing you with a secure computer environment. In next month’s article we’ll look at habits that could help (or hinder) a secure environment.