Computer Security Computer Security Introduction But there is a big difference between this and  other more natural bad things. Accidents are just  that - accidents. But on the internet, there are a  lot of bad people, or more accurately, programs  created by bad people, that are trying very hard  to do any manner of things to your computer. When most people buy a new computer, it will  often come with a trial version of anti virus, or  anti virus / firewall software (you need both).   This software should be set to update itself  regularly, as new threats appear on the internet  literally on an hourly basis. Then the trial runs out and the owner does nothing about it. And  continues to use the internet. Recent versions of Windows (XP, Vista & Windows 7) are very good at nagging you to get the  required software and keep it up to date, but it’s  worrying how often people think that someone  just wants to make money out of them. It’s  because it’s essential, that’s why! You also  shouldn’t be using a version of Windows older  than XP Service Pack 3. WIndows 7 is ideal. The Computer Security works on multiple levels. The first thing  that needs to be done is to make sure that the  operating system (OS) on the computer is up to  date. Again, Microsoft do a good job of alerting  the user when updates are ready. They should  always be done, because these updates are  almost always done to plug security holes that  have been found. Also, you should always make sure that you have  the latest versions of the software that you are  using, since this, like anything on your computer,  can have security holes that will let the bad guys  in.  Gone Phishing Email is a favourite way for the bad guys to get  access to your computer. They do it using a  technique called phishing - no, that isn’t a  mistake. They will typically send you an email  which they hope you will find enticing enough to  open. It will purport to be from your bank,  perhaps. (It won’t. They never send unsolicited  emails.)   Or it could be a rich Nigerian official who needs  your help with moving large amounts of money -  for a big fee to you, of course. All you have to do is give him your bank account details! Usually, it’s pretty obvious that these emails are spam. But for someone who is new to computing, all this may be anything but obvious. So they need  something to help them stay safe. And this is  where a good Internet Security program comes  in. It goes both ways The most important reason, though, for keeping   your computer safe is not the above, it’s so that  your computer isn’t being used as part of what is  known as a ‘Botnet’. These are large collections of private computers that are being used without the owners knowledge to spy on, infect or otherwise  harm other people’s machines. These botnets are  very big, very real and very dangerous. To use an  indelicate but accurate analogy; if you’re going to  an orgy you take a condom. That way, you can’t  catch anything, but also you can’t give anything  you’ve got to someone else! Internet Security There are 3 main types of security programs;  firewalls, anti virus and Internet Security products, which are a combination of the other two. And that is what you want. Imagine a brick wall - a ‘firewall’ - between your  computer and the Internet.  The programs on your computer communicate with the world through the wall, using a series of numbered ‘ports’; a  message arriving at a given port is meant for a  particular program, and so on. Imagine each brick is a port, with a number on it.  When a message comes in, the firewall reads the  destination port number, and then consults a set of rules to see if that message is allowed through. If  it is, then the port opens, and the message  continues to its destination. However, the firewall  doesn’t check what the content of the messages  might be. That’s for the antivirus component. This  uses a combination of techniques and analysis of  what a program is doing to decide if it needs to  take action to stop something bad. Kaspersky Our favourite is Kaspersky Internet Security.   It combines antivirus, firewall, anti-phishing and  many other abilities with an easy-to-use interface. You will find that there is almost nothing that you  need to change because it has all the most  common settings already done right out of the  box. But it can be easily customised if need be. It  updates itself every hour of the year, and their  support people are on the ball, unlike a lot of other companies. (We once contacted them on Xmas Day to see if  anyone was there. We got an email reply in less  than 5 minutes!) That’s how good they are. So we were hooked  from that moment on.  Frankly, even if you are using some other antivirus / firewall / Internet Security software, we think  that when it comes to the end of its’ license, you  should uninstall it and replace it with K.I.S. We  doubt if you’ll be sorry. Just click the banner below and you’ll soon be  protected by the latest just-released version,  Kaspersky Internet Security 2011. Computer Security is one of those things that people seem to think involves bad things they read about, but will never happen to them - like car crashes, and so on. Remember: Safety isn’t just about having an internet security product. The bad guys are always looking for ways to exploit the software on your machine. And as they find a hole, so it gets plugged, in a never- ending battle. It’s especially important that your web browser is the most recent version. In particular, if you are using any version of Internet Explorer other than version 8, you are in great danger, and so are others, because your machine is easily compromised. You must upgrade at once, preferably to FireFox! HCR