Simple Steps to Protect Your Computer

Just yesterday we told you about a Google results scam to be aware of. Today, protection against such scams is on the chopping block. It is easy to call up your local tech guy or favorite Keystone employee and get him to fix all your problems for you. However, your wallet might not appreciate that approach. And isn’t it always best to be prepared and protect yourself from harm? It’s like wearing a helmet when you ride your bike or wearing a seat belt when you’re in a car. You don’t expect to get in a car wreck but you’re wearing that seat belt just in case someone else decides to get in a wreck.

I asked around the office and compiled a list of how to protect yourself and your data while on the Internet. The outline is basic: Install protective software and keep it updated, and avoid malicious tricks.

Get Protective Software:

This is the most fundamental way to protect yourself on the Internet. At home or in the office, anti-virus software is very important to having a smooth Internet experience. Our Web producer, Jeremy Scott, says, “Be proactive and get some anti-spyware and anti-virus software as soon as you get your computer. It’s a lot less work to put precautions in place ahead of time than it is to fix a problem after the fact.”

In the office, be sure to buy business-class software. Retail versions of anti-virus software are not strong enough to cover an entire network at your business. Our experts recommend Trend Micro Worry Free Security Suite for a business. For regular home users, Thomas Campbell suggests, “either Trend Micro Internet Security Pro or Webroot Spysweeper with anti-virus. There are plenty of good anti-virus programs out there but in my opinion these offer the best combination of effectiveness, reliability, and ease of use.”

Keeping your Security software updated is almost just as important as having the software in the first place. If you don’t have the most up-to-date software, there can be holes in your security. Cyberscammers stay updated so why shouldn’t you? If you are not keeping your software up-to-date, you could be susceptible to the latest virus scams.

Avoid their Tricks:

This is an important step as well to keep your online data to yourself. Pay attention and use common sense! One of our IT consultants, Adam Arnold, said:

“Most infections come from some form of social engineering or overall trickery. If a window pops up and says ‘You are infected! Click here!’ Please don’t. Reputable software doesn’t do that… If you are the type of person that gives out very private and personal information to strangers on the street, you will need to hire someone to supervise you on the computer. Otherwise, if you are unsure, call someone to help you.”

Our web producer, Jeremy Scott, gave his input here also and said, “Pay attention. Most people only notice their machine is infected long after they’ve received a lot of malware and spyware.”

Very true, Jeremy. Make wise decisions when you are surfing around on the web. You have too much data at risk when you don’t make smart choices. Clicking on random pop-ups is always the wrong thing to do. Another Keystone IT consultant, Thomas Campbell, says:

“Don’t open attachments if you don’t know who they are from. Remember that people can spoof e-mail addresses (i.e. look like the e-mail is coming from a friend or trusted bank but it is not) so be careful clicking on any links. Be careful where you surf, and even more importantly, what you download… A lot of the malware we see these days install a fake antivirus program on the victim’s machine at the user’s prompting and harasses them to buy the “full version” of their software. Don’t be fooled!”

Overall, the Keystone office agrees that you need to take certain steps on your own to avoid major problems with viruses, malware, identity theft, and more. After reading all these warnings, I hope you will take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with your anti-virus software and update it to the latest version.