| Computer security is on a lot of peoples' | | | | like opening your front door and letting |
| minds. And there are lots of companies out | | | | anyone into your house. There is no barrier |
| there offering all sorts of ways to stay hack | | | | between you and the outside world. However, |
| proof. Most high-end products are geared | | | | if you put a router between the modem and |
| toward large enterprises. This makes sense | | | | your computer, it's like closing that door on |
| since they are worth millions or billions of | | | | the front of your house. Now, only certain, |
| dollars. Security companies go where the | | | | trusted people are allowed in. |
| money leads. But what about the typical home | | | | |
| computer user? How can novice users traverse | | | | The third rule is the rule of pest control. |
| this brave new world? Let's take a look at | | | | Please don't run a computer without virus |
| my four rules for home computer security. | | | | protection. You can have the best front door |
| | | | in the world, but if you let the back door |
| Let's face it, the internet can be like the | | | | open it's useless. Anti virus programs help |
| wild west. You never know what you're going | | | | control loopholes in trusted communication |
| to find and it's hard to trust anyone. But a | | | | lines. A friend of mine got a floppy from a |
| little caution can go a long way. The first | | | | friend. He then quickly copied a |
| rule to keep in mind is the rule of the low | | | | presentation for a corporate client on it. |
| hanging fruit. What's fruit have to do with | | | | He went to the client, inserted the floppy, |
| computer security? Well, actually it has a | | | | and was greeted by an obnoxious virus alert. |
| lot to do with computer security. People | | | | The client was furious, my friend was highly |
| tend to go after the path of least | | | | embarrassed, but the software did its job. |
| resistance. If you were to pick fruit off a | | | | Never run a computer without virus |
| tree, which fruit would you go after? Would | | | | protection. And these days, you need spyware |
| you go after the fruit at the top of the tree | | | | protection. There are some great free ones |
| or would you go after the one hanging in your | | | | out there like Spybot Search and Destroy. I |
| face? Of course, you would go after the low | | | | also like SpywareGuide's Xscan for interval |
| hanging fruit. Hackers are no different. | | | | scanning. |
| They will tend to exploit the targets that | | | | |
| promise the biggest bang for the least | | | | The fourth rule is the rule of sewing. Ok, |
| effort. If you require more effort to hack, | | | | I'm not talking about sewing in the |
| most hackers will pass you by. | | | | traditional sense. I'm talking about putting |
| | | | patches on - on your operating system that |
| The second rule is the rule of the front | | | | is. If you are using Windows, you need to |
| door. You never, ever want to hook your | | | | make sure windows update is set to |
| computer directly up to the internet. A | | | | automatically download updates. Security |
| caveat to this rule is if you know what | | | | patches regularly come out and you would be |
| you're doing and set up a firewall directly | | | | less than wise to ignore them. And be |
| on that computer. There are other | | | | warned, in this day and age, some security |
| considerations, but I'm going after | | | | issues involve simply visiting malicious |
| straight-forward solutions for you. What I | | | | websites to breech your security. Don't be a |
| mean is that you never want to hook a DSL or | | | | victim, be prepared. |
| cable modem directly into your computer. You | | | | |
| always want to put some type of router | | | | While this certainly won't fend off the most |
| between the modem and your computer. This | | | | hardened hacker, it will keep most at bay. |
| can be a simple dsl/cable router from someone | | | | It's sort of like home security. Is a thief |
| like Linksys. This helps to segment a | | | | going to target the home with lax security or |
| private network from the public internet | | | | the one with great security? I'll leave that |
| network. Let me use an analogy. If you hook | | | | answer to you. |
| up your computer directly to your modem, it's | | | | |