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Frequently Asked Questions About Computer Security
Question |
Answer |
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| Can hackers really get into my home computer? | Yes - especially if you have a cable modem or DSL connection. These connections mean that your computer is always connected to the Internet and the path to your computer says "Welcome" to hackers. |
| But I don't have anything worth stealing on my computer! | Maybe you don't have anything worth stealing, but there is nothing to stop a hacker from storing pornography or illegal software on your computer so he can share it with friends. Your computer can also be used to attack other computers. A "distributed denial of service" attack is when a tiny program is stored on your computer and that program begins attacking another computer. You won't even know it's happening! |
| But I have anti-virus software. Won't that protect me? | Anti-virus software is good at detecting KNOWN viruses. It's not very good at detecting new viruses that act differently than any other known viruses. Anti-virus software must be regularly updated in order to work effectively. The new files contain information about new viruses. If your anti-virus software is working with old files, some viruses won't be caught. |
| What's this I hear about viruses mailing out MY files to someone else? | Some of the newer viruses CAN pick a file at random off your hard drive and mail it to a stranger. It doesn't even have to be a name in your address book. New viruses can contain their own email mailing program, too. That means that the virus can be sending out files and infecting others even when your email program is shut down! |
| I have a personal firewall. Am I totally protected? | Personal firewalls are great, but they can't stop viruses. Your software could also have security holes that permits traffic through the firewall. To be better protected, you must install the security patch software that is available from the vendor. Microsoft's site can scan your computer to see if you have all the patches you need. I highly recommend this for home users. Go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com |
| The passwords I use have a number before or after the word. Is that good enough? | NO! Password cracking programs are on to this trick and can break these passwords in less than 10 seconds. A better trick is to insert a number in the MIDDLE of a regular word. See the example, below: Old password = Example123 New password = eXa749mple It would take a password cracking program about 72 hours to crack the new password. Believe me... hackers won't wait that long! |
| I use one good password for just about everything. Is that OK? | No, again! If that one password gets cracked, that means that someone can log onto your ISP, use your email, log on to your online banking, and order goods online with your credit card. Does that sound safe to you? Use your best (hardest) passwords for things that need the most protection. Use the easier passwords for things that don't really matter. |
| Should I encrypt the drive on my laptop? | If your laptop goes out of the house with you, then you need to protect it more stringently. Remember... your laptop probably has lots of information on it that could be valuable to anyone who wants to steal your identity. You should enable the "BIOS password." That means that the laptop won't even boot up without the password. Encryption programs are getting easier to use and cheaper to buy. One of the ones I like is called "madeSafe." |
If you would like to have a question answered and see it on this page, please send me an email at chey@patriot.net
I hope you found the FAQ helpful!