Internet Security

When it comes to Internet security, most of us don't think much about it. Once we have downloaded our Norton or McAfee, we think that we are immue to viruses, worms and torjan horses (not the one from Troy).

WRONG!

An antivirus is only as good as the coding built into it. Like our immue system, we can only prevent that which we know of. At the rate that new nasty stuff is being created, our antivirus becomes outdated very very quickly. I have an old laptop that runs on Windows 98. It never had an antivirus and so is full of it. Its like a cesspool of infection. When I started up the computer in 2005, within 5 minutes, the entire computer hung due to all the porn popups that kept appearing.

So how does a virus work?

But What's the Difference? We constantly throw the words virus, trojan and worm with such impunity that we use them interchangebly. Again, WRONG. They are not the same thing as the following video will explain.

So, how do we protect ourselves against such things?

Or if we just follow this few tips:

• Don't open email attachments unless you're expecting them. Many viruses are attached to email messages and will spread as soon as you open the email attachment. It's best not to open any attachment unless it's something you're expecting.
• Keep your computer updated. Microsoft releases security updates that can help protect your computer. Make sure that Windows receives these updates by turning on Windows automatic updating.
• Use a firewall.‌ Windows Firewall (or any other firewall) can help alert you to suspicious activity if a virus or worm attempts to connect to your computer. It can also block viruses, worms, and hackers from attempting to download potentially harmful programs to your computer.
• Use your browser's privacy settings. Being aware of how websites might use your private information is important to help prevent fraud and identity theft. If you're using Internet Explorer, you can adjust your Privacy settings or restore the default settings whenever you want. 
• Use a pop-up blocker with your browser. Pop-up windows are small browser windows that appear on top of the website you're viewing. Although most are created by advertisers, they can also contain malicious or unsafe code. A pop-up blocker can prevent some or all of these windows from appearing.

And there you go. Once you know what to do, Internet security is  very easy. Now go and