Where do I start?
First, determine what is the critical data that needs to be protected. Make a list of any and all software that needs to be protected. You should have software to reinstall your operating system and software that is installed, so let us focus only on the data files that need to be protected. First, any documents, pictures and music files that you never want to lose should go on this list. Financial data, database files that hold personal information, spreadsheets, password files and the data files for applications like Quicken, Quickbooks, Word, etc. all need to go on this list.
Now you can get an external hard drive or if you have another machine on your network you can store files on you can begin to backup all of these files. You can simply copy them into organized folders or you can use the backup utility that comes with your operating system. In addition there are really great third party utilities out there for backing up as well. The point is, no matter how you choose to back up, you need to take action and actually do it. This is the only way you will have access to this data if the data on that hard drive gets destroyed. This brings up another point, if there is a natural disaster such as fire, flood, tornado etc., where will your data be? If you are backing up to an online service or if you are taking a removable hard drive off site, that is fine. However, don’t assume just because it is backed up to another computer in the office that it is perfectly safe.
What operating system should I be running?
This boils down to your own personal skill level and personal preference.
Windows is the 800lb gorilla in the room and has the largest installed base, especially in this area. If you are running a version of Windows, you really should be running Windows Vista or Windows 7 once it is released. While XP was a pretty good operating system, Vista and 7 are both designed around not using an administrator account for day to day use. This has always been the case with Unix based operating systems like Linux and Apple’s OSX. However, typically Linux requires a higher degree of computing knowledge to run and Apple’s OSX requires a good deal more money for hardware as well as software. Windows is using a feature called User Account Control which a lot of people are disabling but I really don’t recommend doing that.
How about protecting the computer from viruses, spyware and popups?
You really want to use a layered defense to protect your machine. Just an antivirus isn’t good enough anymore. First, you need a good firewall between yourself and the Internet. If you have DSL as most of us do around here and there is a router attached to the Internet, that router usually has a built-in firewall. It won’t hurt anything if you add another firewall behind the one from your Internet Service provider though unless you need some inbound connection like sharing files or there are games you are trying to play online that require a connection from outside. Then you might need to read up on how to set up the firewall to allow those connections.
Next, don’t use the administrator account on your machine. Make sure you are logged in as a limited user that does not have the rights or privileges to install software. Now, this may sound like a pain, but what you are trying to do is take away the rights and permissions required to install a virus as well. If you are using Vista or Windows 7, this is enabled by default. If you are running Windows XP, check that you are a limited user and that your account is not part of the Administrators group.
Next, make sure the software firewall on your machine is turned on. Firewalls prevent other computers from attacking your computer. This is in addition to the hardware box that we talked about earlier. This is especially important if you have a home or small business network with several machines because if a virus does get on the network, you want there to be another layer of protection between an infected machine and a clean machine.
Make sure you have your computer set to automatically update. It doesn’t matter how hard people try, no one is perfect when writing software. There are going to be problems, or bugs, that need to be patched. As these bugs are patched, they are released as software updates but if you don’t you’re your machine set to receive them, you are not receiving the benefit they offer.
Don’t install any software you don’t need and uninstall any software you don’t use. Go through your machine and see if all of the programs that are installed are actually being used. There is a good chance that you have software installed that you never have used and even don’t know how it got installed. By removing unnecessary software, you are eliminating one more way that the machine can be compromised due to a flaw in software. One way to keep software that you do use up to date is by using a software update tool such as Secunia’s Personal Software Inspector (http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning) This allows you to see what is installed that may have an updated version with bug or security fixes.
Be sure you have antivirus software installed. Use a current-generation program and run a daily scan some time when you are not using the computer like midnight or 3:00am. However, I do want to stress not to use more than one antivirus on the same machine because that can cause problems also. There are companies that test antivirus software and compare them so check that the antivirus you are using is rated highly. (www.av-comparatives.org) My current personal favorites for home use are Antivir’s free antivirus and Avast’s personal edition. Bear in mind that while these may be free for home use, small businesses need to purchase a license.
Use common sense when downloading software. If you are getting free software from untrusted sources, there is a good chance you will be downloading a virus. A good example that I see a lot is Microsoft’s Office suite. I see a hacked copy of this software on every other machine that comes in for virus removal. If you are a home user, there is a good chance you have a student using the computer and can take advantage of the discount Microsoft offers for $59.99 by going to www.theultimatesteal.com . For completely free office software, check out www.openoffice.org. If you want to download music, don’t fire up Limewire or bittorrent. Go to Amazon or use iTunes. Remember, Trojan horse software got the name from the Trojan Horse that was presented as a gift and was acting as one thing but had a dangerous payload for the ones receiving it. Don’t be fooled into taking that bait.
This also brings up the phishing techniques we are seeing with fake emails. Pay special attention if you receive an email from someone claiming to be from the IRS, Blizzard (for those who play World of Warcraft), Ebay, etc. If you do receive one of these emails and want to check the validity, don’t click anywhere in the email. Go directly to the website of the company that sent the email. This at least will keep them from directing you to their website.
Another way that people are fooled is by these websites that look like your computer is being scanned and a virus has been found. All you need to do is click to download their Antivirus 2009 or some other scam software. If you see this, you should immediately hit Ctrl+Alt+Delete and end the task for your web browser.
After using these techniques, it is extremely unlikely you will ever get spyware or a virus. However, to be on the safe side, here are a few recommendations:
SuperAntispyware (http://www.superantispyware.com/)
Malwarebytes AntiMalware(http://www.malwarebytes.org/)
Spybot Search and Destroy(http://www.safer-networking.org/)
How about using another browser like Firefox?
If you like using an alternative browser, use whatever browser you prefer. However, don’t be fooled into thinking one is more secure than another. All web browsers have exploits and the first step is protecting the operating system itself from those attacks by not running as an administrator to begin with. Also, you want to make sure any add-ons like Java and Flash are updated. One thing I really do like about Firefox in particular is a plugin that was written and adds functionality called NoScript (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/722). What this extension does is allows you to approve websites that can run addons without having to have all websites have permission to them. If you are not running Firefox, you can still use the security zones in Internet Explorer to determine what websites have permission to run ActiveX and Java. For more information on securing your web browser, take a look at the Computer Emergency Response Team’s page here (http://www.cert.org/tech_tips/securing_browser/.)
written by Walt Dundore
\\ tags: antivirus, firefox, internet explorer, Linux, security, Windows