Kickass tips for secure Computing

System security is a major concern. Perhaps now more than ever before, vulnerabilities in many popular Web sites, OSes, and applications are uncovered almost daily that potentially leave PC users open to attack. There are many steps security conscious users can take to help lock down their PCs, however, in an effort to prevent unwanted intruders from accessing private data. Common sense is the first line of defense. Users should never hastily click “OK” on pop-ups without reading the window contents. Never accept files or open e-mails from unknown senders and don’t click links in unsolicited e-mails, especially if they ask you to reset a password. Never giving out your passwords is also a must, regardless of who’s asking. Your ISP, bank, or other service providers will never ask for login passwords (account passwords are a different story). Don’t write your passwords down anywhere they can easily be found either. And always use complex passwords that are not easy guess. Never use your date of birth, anniversary, a pet’s name, or generic words a dictionary attack could exploit, for example.
If the idea of memorizing a complex password seems daunting, simply add some extra characters to the word or name you prefer to use to make it harder to guess. For example, an enterprising cracker would have no trouble brute forcing a password like “camera”. “X3#camera#3X”, on the other hand, would be much more difficult to ascertain, and it shouldn’t be much more difficult to remember.
Users should also make an effort to hide their systems from intruders in the first place. If you have a broadband internet connection, even if it’s connected to a single PC, at the very least install a router with a built-in firewall that also uses NAT (Network Address Translation) to hide the system from the outside world. Using a software firewall on the PC as well, to track or block inbound as well as outbound traffic, is also a good idea. Even if you’re not technically proficient enough to configure some of the more complex options available in today’s routers and firewalls, simply having them in place adds a level of security that will protect the PC from a myriad of generic attacks. With a router and firewall installed, generic bots and port scanners won’t find a potentially vulnerable PC at the end of an internet connection when methodically scanning a network.
PC users should also ensure that their applications and operating system are fully patched and up to date. If left unpatched some vulnerabilities can be exploited in a just a few minutes when the PC is connected to the internet. Users should also keep anti-malware applications running on their systems at all times. Anti-malware applications can often prevent a vulnerability from being exploited if a patch for an OS or application hasn’t been released.