I will be posting what information i have received on computer security. Please remember...it is better to be safe, then sawry...wun never nose wat may happen to them, especially in this day and age.
the following was an insert frum newfoundweb and was posted by promoturr........Hi All,
Before I get started I would like to say that this is for educational purposes and that in no way will I be responsible for any problems you may receive in following this guide. Each computer behaves differently, based on many factors. like Operating system, software programs and games installed on them.
With that said, Here is a little information about things you can do to increase you computer security.
Why increase your security? Well let me tell you from experience. Being on the internet is like a online war. There are a ton of what some call script kiddies out to cause havic! Depending on your operating system and your internet connection, some computers can be wide open for attack. Attack being you computer compromised or even harm done.
The computers that are most at risk are computers that are connected to the internet at all times. Cable modems and DSL. These computers are loved by hackers/crackers because of there connectivity. They love to have control over something that is on all the time. Where as a computer that only connects for a short period is not as good. Since the computer may not be online when the cracker is. Also computers that have to dial up and connect often changed their I.P. (Computer Address) where as a computers that are connected all the time usually have a Static IP (Same all the time).
Computers running windows have many things installed from the get go that should not be. Windows operating systems are the most compromised systems out there. This is for a few reasons. One, because windows is often pre packed with many things that basic users do not need. Second, its the most used operating system. Anything that is used the most is what crackers work on the most.
There are many things that a cracker/hacker can do to your system. From having complete control over it, monitoring your information, installing viruses or even using your computer to attack other peoples computers(Stealthing their location for attacks)
Many people say that you do not have to worry about security if your not out causing trouble. This is wrong. Almost every computer connected to the internet has probably been scanned for security holes at least once and many probably hundreds or even in the thousands. This is because, ther are now scripts that just scan for holes all day. They take a certain IP range (Computer address set by your internet provider) and scan between them all day. Then they come back to the computer and look at the result log and see which ones responded to their pings and scans( Ports/Holes Open). Another way they find IP Addresses to crack and scan are from file sharing. Some of the crackers have setup on places like Kazaa and Bearshare to solely find fast computers. When you connect to a person and download, your computer IP(Address) is shown to that person. It has too, in order to connect to them and for them to know where to send the file. If your computer connects and downloads fast, its of super interest for them to try and crack your computer. So the bottom line is, EVERYBODY should be concerned about security.
Now that was just some basic information on what crackers/hackers can do. That has even touched the surface. It was just to give you a idea of how the internet can be used for havic.
So what can you do to protect yourself? How can you beef up security?
There are a few things that even a fairly new user can do.
1. Install a firewall.
2. Install a Virus Scan
3. Install Operating System(Windows) updates.
1.) A Firewall is a software program that will try and control what is allow to come and go from your computer. Many of them will ask you when something new trys to connect to your computer or to the internet. If its something you do not want, you block it. There are also hardware firewalls, but that is for another guide.
There are many firewalls on the market and everybody will give you a opinion on what is best. Depending on your skill level you may want to test different programs. But for the novice user I recommend Zone Alarm. They have a Pro version and a FREE Version. Both are fairly easy to use. Just one you have to pay for and has more features. Zone Alarm is fairly basic and straight forward, but still expect a bit of a learn curve to understand it. Its not install, click and your done. When you first install it, it will ask you a lot of questions. This is because it has to learn what is allowed to connect. What programs are good and what are bad. After it knows this information, it becomes pretty much a background thing.(remember to keep it updated)
You can find the FREE zone alarm at
www.zonelabs.com Make sure to Download the FREE version and not the Pro Trial version. They seem to try and hide the FREE one, in hopes that you download the trial and end up buying it.
http://www.grc.com/default.htm has a great FREE online security scan to test and see if you currently have any open ports (Trojans, Security holes, etc...) I highly recommend EVERYBODY try this test and see want results they get. If you have any open ports a FIREWALL IS A MUST! The test is called Shields up and the link is about 1/4 of a way down the website page.
2.) Virus scan is a MUST if you download anything from the internet. This doesn't have to be from websites, but even in your e-mails. If you get little files in your e-mails then you are at risk. Viruses are everywhere and can cause a lot of damage to your computer. There are a few types. Standard virus, worms and then trojans. Virus and worms are design to cause trouble to your computer. Delete files or crash programs, jam internet server traffic, or even just to pass itself on to other users. Trojans in mine opinion are the worse. This is because not only can they do harm, but they can compromise your computer fully. Giving people total control and access to your information and files as if they were sitting right at your computer. Now again there are many virus scan software packages and some are better then others. But if this is your first time finding out about virus scanners, then you may want to give one a try first. So for this reason I recommend another FREE program, call AVG. You can download AVG at
http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/ One thing to remember about virus scan is that they are only as good as their last update. New threats are found every day and if you do not let the program connect and update its virus database, then its not much good to even install it. Keep it up to date.
3.) Computer Operating System Updates.
Keep your operating system up to date. Windows has many holes in it and every day crackers and hackers across the world are working on findiing them. Windows also has a team that trys to stay current with security threats and releases patches to fix them. Once windows makes a patch it is a must to download, because from this point on windows has made the security hole known. So if you do not patch it, many crackers read about the hole and then try and see if you fixed it. Many people do not update their computers. KEEP ON TOP OF IT!
(SPYWARE, AD WARE)
The above 3 security points are design to stop crackers/hackers from doing harm to your computer. But the truth is, they are not the only ones invading your privacy. Many corporations are now using shady tactics for marketing purposes. Visiting certain websites can install tracking software and cookies on your computer. This helps them figure out what people are currently interested in and how to market to you. Things like sites you visit, what time, for how long, etc.. are collected. In my opinion this should be illegal. But for some reason they get away with it. There is a FREE program that you can install that searches your computer and deletes the spyware. Its called Ad Aware. It can be downloaded from
www.lavasoftusa.com Again make sure you get the FREE version as they sell a pro and try and hide their FREE version.
One more good rule of thumb to follow is to not install stupid little things on your computer. They usually do more harm to your computer then good. Things like fancy mouse clickers or internet browers tool bars, time accuracy software, etc... Tho little things that you think you need, more and likely you probably don't. If you want to install something that comes in a e-mail then you are probably doing your computer no good. Before installing anything, maybe do a quick search and see what people have to say about it.
Well there are the few things that you can do to increase your security. Remember that this is just a general guide and each computer will behave differently. Do not attempt anything said here if you do not feel comfortable with your computer. Instead read and learn more. Security is a MUST and the faster you get on it the better.
For more Advance computer users I recommend shutting down certain services that windows installs. A GREAT Guide can be found at
http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm. Black Viper also has some really good guides on how to increase your computer speed and operating system tweaks.
Hope this has helped ya in some way. Knowledge is always a good thing!
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Thanks
Promoturr