How to Protect Your Computer

Published on June 2016 | Categories: Types, Creative Writing | Downloads: 56 | Comments: 0 | Views: 451
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This book explain how to protect your computer from hackers and malware.

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How to Protect Your Computer

The same advice parents might deliver to young drivers on their first solo journey applies to everyone who wants
to navigate safely online. A special agent in our Cyber Division offered the following:
- "Don't drive in bad neighborhoods."
- "If you don't lock your car, it's vulnerable; if you don't secure your computer, it's vulnerable."
- "Reduce your vulnerability, and you reduce the threat."
Below are some key steps to protecting your computer from intrusion:
- Keep Your Firewall Turned On: A firewall helps protect your computer from hackers who might try to gain access
to crash it, delete information, or even steal passwords or other sensitive information. Software firewalls are
widely recommended for single computers. The software is prepackaged on some operating systems or can be
purchased for individual computers. For multiple networked computers, hardware routers typically provide
firewall protection.
- Install or Update Your Antivirus Software: Antivirus software is designed to prevent malicious software programs
from embedding on your computer. If it detects malicious code, like a virus or a worm, it works to disarm or
remove it. Viruses can infect computers without users' knowledge. Most types of antivirus software can be set up
to update automatically.
- Install or Update Your Antispyware Technology: Spyware is just what it sounds like—software that is
surreptitiously installed on your computer to let others peer into your activities on the computer. Some spyware
collects information about you without your consent or produces unwanted pop-up ads on your web browser.
Some operating systems offer free spyware protection, and inexpensive software is readily available for download
on the Internet or at your local computer store. Be wary of ads on the Internet offering downloadable
antispyware—in some cases these products may be fake and may actually contain spyware or other malicious
code. It's like buying groceries—shop where you trust.
- Keep Your Operating System Up to Date: Computer operating systems are periodically updated to stay in tune
with technology requirements and to fix security holes. Be sure to install the updates to ensure your computer has
the latest protection.
- Be Careful What You Download: Carelessly downloading e-mail attachments can circumvent even the most
vigilant anti-virus software. Never open an e-mail attachment from someone you don't know, and be wary of
forwarded attachments from people you do know. They may have unwittingly advanced malicious code.
- Turn Off Your Computer: With the growth of high-speed Internet connections, many opt to leave their computers
on and ready for action. The downside is that being "always on" renders computers more susceptible. Beyond
firewall protection, which is designed to fend off unwanted attacks, turning the computer off effectively severs an
attacker's connection—be it spyware or a botnet that employs your computer's resources to reach out to other
unwitting users.
How to Secure Your PC
 127,232 views
 30 Editors
 Edited 2 days ago
So you have just bought a new personal computer for your home (rather than for a
workplace or as a server) and want to secure it (including protecting it from viruses and
spyware). Privacy (including encryption, cryptography and anonymity) is a part of
security but broad enough to need covering separately. Think of Privacy as the flipside
of the coin. Making backups of data, defragging, system restore points are only
indirectly related. Backups can actually make your data easier to steal and retrieve.


This article assumes you wish to use a network (such as the internet), share files on
thumb drives and that your PC might be physically accessible to others. If none of those
apply, then your many of these steps may be redundant as your PC will already be quite
secure.
Steps
1.
- Watch a 10 second video
1
Choose an operating system based on its security and vulnerability (Linux has no
known active viruses in the wild, OpenBSD is focused on security). Find out if it uses
limited user accounts,all files permissions and is regularly updated. Make sure you
update your operating system with security updates and update your other software too.
2.
- Watch a 10 second video
2
Choose a web browser based on its security and vulnerabilities because most
malware will come through via your web browser. Disable scripts too (NoScript, Privoxy
and Proxomitron can do this). Look at what independent computer security analysts
(such as US-CERT) and crackers (similar to hackers) say. Google Chrome
[1]
is more
secure and has a sandbox feature
[2]
so it would be more difficult to compromise the
system and spread the infection.
3.
- Watch a 10 second video
3
When setting up, use strong passwords in your user account, router account
etc. Hackers may use dictionary attacks and brute force attacks.
4.
- Watch a 10 second video
4
Use trusted sources. When downloading software (including antivirus software), get it
from a trusted source (softpedia, download, snapfiles, tucows, fileplanet, betanews,
sourceforge) or your repository if you are using Linux.
5.
- Watch a 10 second video
5
Install good antivirus software (particularly if you use P2P). Antivirus software is
designed to deal with modern malware including viruses, trojans, keyloggers, rootkits,
and worms. Find out if your antivirus offers real-time scanning, on-access or on-
demand. Also find out if it is heuristic. Avast
[3]
and AVG
[4]
are very good free editions.
Choose one, download and install it and scan regularly. Keep your virus definitions up
to date by updating regularly.
6.
- Watch a 10 second video
6
Download and install software to deal with spyware such as Spybot Search and
Destroy, HijackThis
[5]
or Ad-aware
[6]
and scan regularly. I can't state this enough -
you need to run a good anti spyware and anti malware program like Spybot if you
search the web at all. Many websites out there exploit weaknesses and holes in the
security of Microsoft Explorer and will place malicious code on your computer without
you knowing about it until its too late!
7.
- Watch a 10 second video
7
Download and install a firewall. Either ZoneAlarm
[7]
or Comodo Firewall
[8]
(Kerio,
WinRoute or Linux comes with iptables). If you use a router, this gives an added layer of
security by acting as a hardware firewall.
8.
- Watch a 10 second video
8
Close all ports. Hackers use port scanning (Ubuntu Linux has all ports closed by
default).
9.
- Watch a 10 second video
9
Perform Penetration Testing. Start with ping, then run a simple nmap scan. Backtrack
Linux
[9]
will also be useful.
10.
- Watch a 10 second video
10
Consider running intrusion detection software (HIDS) such as ossec, tripwire or
rkhunter.
11.
- Watch a 10 second video
11
Don't forget to think in terms of physical security! Consider something like a
Kensington lock (in case of theft/unauthorised access). Also setting a BIOS password
and preventing access to your machine or its removable devices (USB, CD drive etc.).
Don't use an external hard drive or USB device for important data, these represent
another vulnerability, as they are easier to steal/lose.
 Encryption can be effective against theft. Encrypt at least your entire user account
rather than just a few files. It can affect performance but can prove worth it. Truecrypt
works on Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeOTFE works on Windows and Linux. In OS
X (10.3 or later) System Preferences Security, click FileVault (this can take minutes to
hours). In Linux Ubuntu (9.04 or later) installation Step 5 of 6 choose "Require my
password to login and decrypt my home folder". This uses "ecryptfs".

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