Protecting
your data is critical. It will save you money and prevent
the loss of irreplaceable data. Below
are some products we recommend for dealing with common data security
risks and annoyances.
Spyware (also
"adware" or "malware") :
What is it?
"Strictly defined,
spyware consists of computer software that gathers and reports information
about a computer user without the user's knowledge
or consent. More broadly, the term spyware can refer to a wide range
of related malware products which fall outside the strict definition
of spyware. These products perform many different functions, including
the delivery of unrequested advertising (pop-up ads in particular),
harvesting private information, re-routing page requests to illegally
claim commercial site referral fees, and installing stealth phone dialers." — Wikipedia
How do you protect
yourself?
There are a number
of free and inexpensive anti-spyware programs that can be found on
the web. Google "spyware"
and you will find a lot of information on spyware, including sites
for downloading the software.
We suggest:
Viruses (also
"worms" or "trojan horses") :
What is it?
"A virus is a type
of program that can replicate itself by making (possibly modified)
copies of itself. The main criterion for classifying a piece
of executable code as a virus is that it spreads itself by means of
'hosts'. A virus can only spread from one computer to another when
its host is taken to the uninfected computer, for instance by a user
sending it over a network or carrying it on a removable disk. Additionally,
viruses can spread to other computers by infecting files on a network
file system or a file system that is accessed by another computer.
Viruses are sometimes confused with worms. A worm, however, can spread
itself to other computers without needing to be transferred as part
of a host. Many personal computers are now connected to the Internet
and to local-area networks, facilitating their spread. Today's viruses
may also take advantage of network services such as the World Wide
Web, e-mail, and file sharing systems to spread, blurring the line
between viruses and worms." — Wikipedia
How do you protect
yourself?
Anti-virus software
protects your computer by catching viruses when they are downloaded
(through
an email message, a web site, or an infected
disc) to your hard drive. Although they are not 100% foolproof,
anti-virus programs will catch virtually all the major viruses as they
come out. You must keep your "virus definitions"
(downloaded from the program distributor) updated constantly! Since
new viruses are developed every day, it does no good to have anti-virus
software if it is not kept up to date.
We suggest:
or
Popup:
What
is it?
"Pop-up
ads are a form of online advertising on the World Wide Web intended
to increase web traffic or capture email addresses.
It works when certain web sites open a new web browser window to
display advertisements. The pop-up window containing an advertisement
is usually generated by JavaScript, but can be generated by other
means as well. A less intrusive variation on the pop-up window
is the pop-under advertisement. This opens a new browser window,
but
in the background, so as not to interrupt the user's page-view." — Wikipedia
How do you protect
yourself?
Some browsers come with built-in pop-up blockers. There are
also programs that can be download from the web. Google "pop
up blocker" to find more information.
We suggest:
Backing up your data
Backing up (making a copy
of) your important files is the easiest, cheapest way to ensure you
don't lose important information stored
on your computer.
Here are some tips
from Argentum Corp.
for making backups (fairly) painless. Argentum, and other companies,
make software to assist in making backup copies of your data. Windows,
and other operating systems, include back-up utilities, but they are
often short on features and hard to set up..
