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