Firewalls, Anti Virus, & Anti
Spyware
Any
one who uses a computer today should be careful and keep
up with the latest safety and security precautions.
Computers are ideal and they help us in many ways and
can do so many different things for us, but you have to
protect yourself at all times.
The information on your computer is often very personal
in nature and you do not want unwanted people to have
access to it. You do not have to worry about having
problems and most of them can be prevented from ever
happening in the first place. Most of it is basic
computer sense. You can follow a few simple guidelines
and all of your sensitive data can be protected.
Security Guidelines
Firewalls – it does not matter what system you
have (Windows 95 or Windows Vista), you should always
use a firewall. The newer versions of Windows (Windows
XP & Windows Vista), do have some very nice safety
features including Windows Defender, which is built in
to Vista and available for download for XP, but some
people disable them and lose all of that protection.
Windows Defender is not just a firewall, but also a
complete security center. Windows XP has a built in
firewall and it also should never be turned off. You
should have your system do automatic updates if it is
possible to set it up this way. This will take the worry
of having to do them yourself and also “one less task”
you will need to do. If you have an older version then
you should be sure to get a firewall. You can easily
find them online by doing a search or in your local
software retailer. There are many programs available for
free and if money is a problem, you may want to check
into this type of firewall. The only drawback on some of
the free ones is they cannot be set automatically, but
there are many that will still give you this feature. It
may take some of your time to research them to find the
one that is right for you, but it will be worth it in
the end. Your safety is well worth the time spent. If
you cannot have it set up to do automatic updates be
sure you do them manually.
When you first install your firewall you will have to
take the time to set it up correctly. Many times you
will be asked on your first visit to certain web pages
if you want to “allow” or “deny” access to them. This
process can be a little bothersome at first, but once
you have the pages set up you will not have to do it
again. A firewall will prevent many intruders from
gaining access to your system and causing you any
troubles.
Anti Virus – you should also never disable your
anti virus program. As with the firewalls, there are
many systems that have this feature built in and they
can also be set to do automatic updates and system scans
on a set schedule. If you are able to do this by all
means do. These programs are also available from your
local stores or online and can be many different prices
including “free”. There are some very good applications
available to everything you need to keep viruses or
other unwanted intrusions from your system.
Anti Spyware – you can have additional protection
by using an anti spyware program on your system. You
should get one of these if your computer does not come
with one. These programs may have to be done manually,
but some of them do come with automatic updates and
scans like some of the anti virus ones.
It does not matter where you get your firewall, anti
virus, and anti spyware programs from or how much they
cost; what really matters is that you have all of them
installed, updating and working on your system at all
times. If you follow this simple basic computer sense
you will not have to worry about your security.
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