1. Send Spyware to the Shredder

Most of the major anti-spyware tools, including Windows Defender, do a great job of eradicating malware objects that may already be present on your computer. Some pests are more complex than others, however, and you may need to turn to dedicated removal tools to dislodge them. A great example is the CWS browser hijack. If this is present on your system, try removing it with CWShredder. Seek out a second opinion by scanning with an alternative anti-spyware program. A tool such as Spybot S&D offers the chance to find spyware that your primary program may have missed.

2. Email protection

Use an anti-virus (AV) program that scans all incoming and outgoing messages for viruses. Most AV programs do this automatically, but check your settings to be sure that your messages are being scanned for better protection.

3. Two-way street

Firewalls may most commonly be associated with keeping the bad guys out of your PC, but you should increasingly be worried about communications leaving your computer as well. Spyware programs and worms are notorious for using your internet connection to propagate or send your personal information to hackers’ servers. A firewall with the ability to manage both inbound and outbound connections will alert you to these attempts. There’s generally nothing wrong with having a hardware firewall (which is included in most home routers) and firewall software running at the same time. It effectively doubles your PC’s protection factor.

4. Windows Update

Windows XP and Windows Vista’s Automatic Updates feature will download and install critical security updates and service packs only. To obtain non-critical updates, use IE to visit the Microsoft Update website.

5. Avoid shady websites

There’s no shortage of websites that are designed with no other purpose than to try to trick you into installing spyware. A common technique these sites use is to suggest that you need to install their site’s ActiveX control in order to gain access to some type of ‘special’ content. If you encounter such a website, especially those that seem to provide access to free content that’s just too good to be true, always proceed with caution.

6. Use strong passwords

A weak password (such as using ‘password’) is almost as bad as not having one. Choose an eight-character password (minimum) that includes letters, numbers and symbols. Don’t use the same password for all of your user accounts, such as those associated with online auction sites, banks, web-based email services and so on. If you only use one password and someone manages to obtain it, you effectively grant that person access to multiple accounts, not to mention sensitive personal information. If you’re having trouble remembering different passwords, consider using a program such as Access Manager to keep them safely stored away.

7. Gone phishing?

If you receive an email message from an online retailer or payment system asking you to confirm your username and password, delete them. Legitimate businesses never collect information in this way.

8. Beware of Wireless Security Encryption WPA

If you decide to implement WPA encryption on your wireless network, ensure that everything you connect to your network is compatible with this standard. It won’t apply to PCs with Service Pack 2 installed, but beware of anything else. This especially applies to non-PC wireless devices, such as media streaming hardware. The large majority of new kit is compatible, but it’s incredible just how recently this wasn’t the case. Check the specifications on new kit, too, just to make sure. If in doubt, use WEP, even though it will be gradually phased out.

9. Forward ports

All routers are configured to enable outbound connections to get through while blocking inbound ones. However, you might want to enable certain users to access your network. To do this, you need to open a port in your router’s firewall. And that’s where things get more complex because how you can do this depends on the manufacturer of your router. You also need to specify the IP address of the computer to which you want the connection to be forwarded. This is a complicated procedure, but you can get help –check out www.portforward.com for more advice and detailed walkthroughs.

10. Better browser

One of the easiest ways to avoid falling prey to phishing (online fraud) is to switch to a browser with anti-phishing capabilities. The latest version of Internet Explorer (version 7) includes just such a feature, warning you when phishing attempts are detected. You can download IE7 here.

Article Published by: bridgesolutionsuk

For more information or help on any of the above security tips, please contact Bridge Solutions on (01225) 351 310 or click here to contact us online.