A&L Enterprises Tech Line

I thought I’d publish a brief post of some Computer Security Basics.  While I’m no security expert I can share some of what I think to keep things safe for myself:

1. Keep your computer up to date.  If Windows wants to install and update – do it. If a software package – such as Abode Flash/PDF – wants to update do that let it.  Don’t put these off – get them done as what they are fixing is probably already be used by the bad guys.
2. Know what security software you have – is it McAfffe, is it Microsoft Security Essentials?  Know what it is and be sure it’s also up to date.  Some of the most evil threats lately are programs that look exactly like an security (anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-spyware) program – and trick you into giving them money.  I had to basically restore a relative’s laptop back to how it came – as the malware that got on the machine prevent me from doing most anything and the relative didn’t know what was supposed to on the computer.
3. If something just doesn’t look right it probably isn’t.  This applies to both e-mails, facebook messages, etc.  I’ve seen a lot of things on Facebook lately -where some malware posts on my or somebody’s wall – but it doesn’t seem right.  Ignore/Delete those.
4. Be aware of your Facebook Security settings – as many of the defaults are set much more open than you would think.  In the upper left-hand corner click on Account – then Privacy and/or Account Settings.
5. If you are doing something sensitive – like banking, e-mail, etc. – then be sure you’re on a security page – look for the lock!
6. If you have a Wi-Fi network at home set a password and don’t use WEP.  If you don’t have a password set then you’re network is open to the world.  Also – if you’re in a public place with free Wi-Fi with no password then be very careful what you do as unless it’s on a secure page it’s open to anyone else on that network.
7. Don’t use the same password on all the sites you visit.  If one of those sites is compromised then you are at risk that you’re compromised on all of your sites.  My best recommendation is to something like LastPass – something that helps you generate unique passwords and keep track of them.  I use it an love it!
8. If you’re unsure of something then ask and/or research it.  I still find myself having to research items to determine if they are safe or not.
9. If you have a laptop or smartphone set a password on it.  If you travel a lot with your laptop then you should consider encrypting the drive so if it’s lost or stolen your data isn’t also lost or stolen.
10. If you see a link in an e-mail either copy the address out or hover over it to make sure it’s what you think – i.e. if it’s supposed to take you to abc.com make sure it shows abc.com, not qef.com.