Latest Tools

As more computers become part of the planet wide network thanks to high speed Internet connections, Internet security is beginning to become an issue everyone must be worried about. These evil programs can do a never ending array of bad things: Swipe passwords, filch Mastercard numbers, send spam from your personal computer, use your personal computer to attack other PCs and masses more. Many of us feel overwhelmed or lost by what they perceive to be a complex and daunting proposition, others ignore the issue totally. Once you understand the threats and know one or two basic concepts, the problem is easy.

As more computers become part of the planet wide network thanks to high speed Internet connections, Internet security is beginning to become an issue everyone must be worried about. These evil programs can do a never ending array of bad things: Swipe passwords, filch Mastercard numbers, send spam from your personal computer, use your personal computer to attack other PCs and masses more. Many of us feel overwhelmed or lost by what they perceive to be a complex and daunting proposition, others ignore the issue totally. Once you understand the threats and know one or two basic concepts, the problem is easy.

Long past are the days when simply taking care about clicking on a file or a link was adequate to shield you. Once this was only a difficulty for folks who traded illegal software, today viruses and trojans constantly infect systems with no input from the user. Attacks are now cross platform and cross browser, using security holes present in aid applications. A trojan can target user without regard for browser or operating system.

Antivirus software is a good first step but has limited effectiveness. You want to keep the criminal out of your house not tackle him once he is in your lounge. The number 1 way to stop infections is to be sure each piece of software on your system is recent and keeping itself recent. Don't ignore messages telling you that a piece of software should be updated. The vast majority of updates are to close known security holes, these holes almost always have active exploits exploiting them.

Another security step that's ignored even by most security executives is using secure DNS servers. DNS servers are used to direct traffic to the proper web addresses. DNS servers can defend you in several ways. First, they can scan for and block sites for you; preventing your computer from even being able to get to a site trying to compromise on your system.

Second, just like everything else DNS servers can have security holes; many ISPs are loose about applying security patches to their DNS servers. Ultimately, changing your default DNS server may make it harder for a virus to switch it for you; many viruses will direct your PC to their own DNS server taking over all your Internet activity. There are plenty of free and secure DNS servers out there and setting one up on your system takes seconds.