There are lots of bad people out there who wish to do bad things to your computer. There are many reasons for why they want to do this, but one phrase seems common to most of these people: "users should do a better job of keeping us out". So here are some thoughts on how to fulfill your part of this ongoing war.
We can start on this journey by defining the stages needed to build a secure computing environment.
- We need to understand a little bit about the "how" and "why" of malware.
- We need to gather the proper tools to prevent malware from getting on our computers.
- We need to define a plan to keep our computers clean and safe.
- We need to setup a plan for when things fail and we get a serious infection.
Part 1: How and Why
Let us begin with the "how" and "why" part.
We begin with the question asked of a mountain climber as to why he/she climbs a mountain that very well could kill him/her. The fabled answer is "because it is there". And that pretty much explains the "why" part of our question. Sure some of these hackers and miscreants can make money off of their evil actions. More importantly they can gain fame amongst their peer group. But in the end, it generally falls to too much free time for an intelligent but underachieving young person who has the knowledge and tools to make your computer life a misery.
As to the how: your computer software contains millions of lines of "code". Much of this "code" provides linkages to other lines of code that link to other lines of code, and often link to key elements of the operating system. Within this code their can be many weak points that allow someone from the outside to get inside your computer and create havoc. We don't have time to go into this in any more detail, but if you wish you can go to a great article in concerning Malware in Wikipedia that can fill in the blanks. It is enough to say that new "holes" in computer operating systems and the other software that runs on your computer are found every single day, and many companies simply cannot keep up with trying to patch their "holes".
Part 2: Proper Tools
That leads us to taking matters into our own hands. This means installing a series of tools (programs) on your computer to prevent malware from getting onto your computer, or cleaning it up if prevention fails.
There are four basic tools that you need to make a safe computer environment:
- A firewall program to prevent intrusion into your computer from people on the internet.
- An anti-virus program to prevent virus programs from activating on your computer.
- A spyware/adware program to prevent or clean up small programs that can take control of your computer, or give away your valuable data.
- A backup program that makes copies of your data or even your entire computer system.
It is not enough to simply install these application. It is your duty to learn how to use them properly. Most of these programs have detailed "help" information on their proper use, and most good programs have on-line tutorials to give you the skills necessary to make these programs function at their best. Nothing is automatic. Even the best of these programs require some user knowledge and understanding to make them function properly. If you are not willing to learn how to use these tools then you may be throwing your money away.
Part 3: The Plan
When you have your tools ready then it is time to come up with a plan to put these tools into play. Your firewall and anti-virus software typically runs pro-actively (it runs in prevention mode all the time). Some anti-spyware software can also run in a prevention mode. One thing to note about running these applications pro-actively: this can seriously slow down your computer. My rule of thumb is to always run my anti-virus and firewall software. Never turn them off. Since spyware is generated in a slightly different manner it is possible to not have pro-active protection, especially if it greatly slows down computer performance.
In all cases you should run full system scans of your computer on a regular basis. I run my anti-virus scanner once a week and run my anti-spyware scans daily. These scans can take some time so I use software that can be scheduled for automatic scans (they don't require my starting them) during times where I won't be using my computer. I also sometimes will run extra scans after long sessions on the internet, or after I install trial software.
Lastly, I backup my entire computer hard disk drive regularly. Sometimes things happen that you simply cannot defend against. With a reliable backup you can always have a way to get your system back (or most of it). For more information on backups see my article Oldgrendel's Guide to Backups on my Special Features page.
The most important thing is that your plan must be followed. You cannot afford to deviate from your scheduled operations too often.
Part 4: More Issues
We are not done yet in providing a truly secure work environment. Here are some additional ideas to help you create your secure work environment:
- Content - avoid going to places on the internet that may have risky content. It's not just adult-oriented sites. Malware can come from almost any web-site (often without the web-site operator's knowledge). P2P or Share sites are always a grave concern. Places like MySpace and other social networking environments are often overrun by malware objects. Avoiding them will greatly increase your security.
- Time On Activities - do not leave your computer browser running if you are going to be away from your computer for more than a few minutes. Leaving your browser open to a web-site and going to lunch is inviting snoopers to break into your system. If you are going to lunch close your browser or messenger program.
- Messenger Software - messenger programs are cute but they are often the flea that carries the plague. For these programs to work they have to circumvent your firewall. Every hacker knows that and most know how to use that "hole" to break in. When not using your messenger program, close it.
- Other users - don't let others use your computer without your supervision. And if you do let others (including family members) use your computer, I recommend you setup for them a separate user account (and one without Administrative rights).
- Scan addtional media - if you are using flash drives or disk from others (or have been used by others) scan them immediately upon using with your system. Always !!!
- Administrator - every Windows computer has an administrative account. Every hacker knows this (duh). Your administrative account must have a password (recent studies show 90% of computer users don't have a password for the administrative account and hackers know this). If you don't know how to give your administrative account a password write me email and I will tell you how).
- Email - never open email from someone you don't know and certainly don't download anything from them. Avoid chain emails because most of them have hidden junk in them (and tell people who send you chain emails to stop doing so). Chain email is one of the top ways to become infected so don't do it. If you wish to pass on something witty that you receive from a friend, "copy" the funny item to a new email only if you have active anti-virus software scanning your outgoing mail as well as your incoming mail.
- Update - attacks can come from anywhere and most software vendors are constantly looking for ways to improve the security of their software. Keep your programs and your Windows operating system upgraded.
- Unsolicited Fixes - if something pops up on your screen and tells you something is wrong with your computer and they offer to fix it for you (and it is not one of the programs you are already using for security) then you really are infected because they have infected you. If you can cancel their operation then do so. If not, shut your system down. Boot your system in SAFE MODE and immediately run your anti-virus and spyware scans. If that fails then call me because your computer is in a very dangerous condition and you need immediate help.
- Learn to Use the Tools You Have - nothing is more important. If you have good security programs installed on your computer, then learn how to use them correctly. Read the manuals, look for on-line tutorials, whatever... learning to use your security software is the most important thing you can ever do to keep your computer secure.
Certainly, if you have any questions on security issues, you can email for additional information. I will update this article periodically and provide more information on my Security News and Tools page.
