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While
the computer and Internet security experts are concerned
about viruses, worms and trojans, the bot software are
quietly taking over almost every computer connected to
the Internet. They are small malicious codes that are installed in certain
web sites and seek to enter into PC’s when visiting
these sites; they also travel through the Internet by
email attachments. When they access a PC, the bot
software run in the background, and allows attackers to
send commands to PC’s remotely. Popular chat rooms and
peer-to-peer networks are common places to get exposed
to bot software.
Security
threats are widespread and this puts all data and
documents at a very high risk. According to the
anti-virus developers, another malicious software is
trying to break into any given PC every 5 minutes and
the payload of these attacks is a worm or virus that
goes after vital
information such as banking and credit card information.
PC users can be exposed by downloading music or
installing shareware from the internet or visiting
poorly maintained web sites.
All
the threats on the Internet makes using computers very
unpleasant these days. Many people have the tendency to
blame computer manufacturers for this dilemma caused by
viruses and other malware. Others try to buy the most
expensive PC or the most popular brand name, hoping for
a better experience surfing the Internet. The price of a
computer or a popular brand name does not guarantee that
the PC will be reliable and stable. Although, some PCs
are considered better than others due to the impact of
marketing schemes and the competitive aspect of the
industry. Actually, most personal computers have the
same basic components: hardware, operating system and
application software.
In
fact, a good PC is one that is secure and reliable.
Every computer is at risk of getting hit and as a
result, important data can be lost or tainted. It is
better to spend money in securing an old PC than buying
a brand new one with all the nuts and bolts available in
the market without trusted security software.
Although
computer and network security have become a public
issue, many corporations are still profiting from this
chaotic situation, for every newcomer there is another
security client on the market. So far, all new PC’s
bought from a retail store are vulnerable. They come
only with a trial version of anti-virus. Before
connecting a new PC to the internet, anti-virus and
Internet security software must be installed and
activated, otherwise, it will take 5 to 15 minutes to
become infected. Even though the threats are so
critical, they have their own reasons why they don’t
charge customers a few extra bucks and simply add
anti-virus and internet security software to their
package.
Anti-virus
software is fully operational only after being
activated. To
activate the trial version of anti-virus software
preinstalled on new PC’s, the computer must be
connected to the Internet. Most unaware users would skip
that step when they find out that they have to provide
their credit card and spend at least $69 on top of the
hundreds they have just invested. This is a mistake
because the PC has a good chance of becoming infected
even before the end of their first Internet session and
will soon begin performing poorly and confidential
information will be at risk of falling in the hands of
the bad guys. As a result, users can face identity theft
and under aged children using an unprotected PC can be
exposed to inappropriate web content.
It
requires much more than a few clicks of mouse to set up
a safe computer system. To program a new PC to last,
users need to download all available Windows updates and
install the latest anti-virus software, anti-spy ware,
internet security software and a firewall.
To
avoid these problems, even before starting to use a new
PC, a user needs to build
a sound defense system to protect the system. It
is better and less expensive to secure a PC than repair
one that have been infected.
According
to data recorded at Town Computer, 75% of business and
personal computers that were serviced last year were
vulnerable to Internet attacks.
Despite
all of these threats, computers can be safer today if
Windows is property set up and updated. Microsoft has
deployed more than 50 security patches, available free
of charge in their web site, some are high priority or
critical, but
all of them are essential to keep a PC safe in the
internet. However, most new PCs come with very few or
none of these security patches. Unfortunately,
many users are not aware of the tools and utilities
available and how to use them.
There
are a few necessary steps to take in order to protect a
PC; the first one is to download the Microsoft security
patches. It is recommended to download security
utilities only from a trusted web site like Microsoft or
Norton. Besides
the application of patches, installation and maintenance
of a trusted security software is very important. Norton
or MCCaffee are the best known security software
developers, they help to keep almost 75% of
PC’s safe
worldwide.
Another
safety concern is the choice of
Internet connections. If the Internet is not
essential to the operations of a business, users should
try to stay away from high speed connections,
specifically “always on” broadband connections.
Hackers use the high speed connection as highway to
other PC’s. A PC connected to the Internet through a
dial-up connection is safer than a PC connected through
DSL or broadband.
There
is no indication that the bot software, viruses, worms
and trojans will disappear overnight, during the past
two years malicious software has multiplied,become
smarter and capable of causing more damage to PC’s and
networks. PC and Internet users are not alone, everyone
in technology are concerned and working hard to provide
an effective solution to all future attacks.
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