Staying Secure - Part I 

A firewall is your first, and often last, line of protection. Don’t ever turn it off while connected to the Internet. Internal tests have shown it takes a hacker less than 8 seconds to detect an unprotected PC.

Antivirus 
Viruses and worms are programs that spread from one
computer to another by inserting copies of themselves into a file or
other computer code. Unlike a virus, a worm is self-contained and
doesn’t need to be part of another program to spread. Typically,
viruses and worms infiltrate your PC through e-mail attachments or
files you download from the Web.
Viruses and worms can take control of your computer, destroy your
files, and render your computer useless. Even worse, some viruses
provide a way for hackers to steal your personal information or for
spammers to use your computer to spread large volumes of junk email.
Antivirus software installed and regularly updated is essential
to protecting your PC. And like firewalls and Antispyware, there are
free antivirus programs available as well as affordable solutions for
about $30. Also, antivirus technology is usually included in Internet
security suites.
In addition to firewall, Antispyware, and antivirus protection,
there are other security tools available worth considering. Among
them are:


Anti-phishing
Phishing is the term used to describe an e-mail that appears to be a legitimate correspondence from a bank, e-commerce site, or other institution but is, in reality, a scam. A phishing e-mail is designed to fool you into providing criminals your credit card number, bank account password, or other sensitive information. Some Internet security suites provide anti-phishing protection. 

Spam blocking
Junk e-mail, nicknamed spam, fills up your inbox with commercial offers that are dubious at best, fraudulent at worst. If you haven’t received an unsolicited e-mail offering cheap mortgage refinancing, Viagra without a doctor’s prescription, or replica Rolex watches, you haven’t spent much time online. Even worse, spam content is often pornographic. A fall 2007 Consumer Reports survey of its readers found that over 2 million children nationwide had been inadvertently exposed to pornographic spam. Spam blocking or filtering tools are fairly standard now in Internet security suites and e-mail applications. Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) also offer customers some level of spam blocking.

Check Back Soon For Additional Updates, Information & Tips.

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