Computer Security for n00bs: Don’t Get Pwnd!

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The Internet can sometimes be a scary and intimidating experience to the new computer user. The potential hazards that can come with personal information or falling prey to hackers and scammers can often times be overwhelming. Luckily, there are many things that new computer users can do to avoid falling victim to these computer security concerns. Here is a look at the very basic rules everybody should know and understand before using the Internet for the first time.

The Essential Firewall and Anti-Virus/Spyware Program

Many computer users believe that since they only use the computer occasionally there is no need for firewall or antivirus software. The fact is if your computer is hooked up to the Internet you run the risk of downloading viruses, malware or worms onto your computer. A firewall or antivirus/spyware program is the first step to protecting your computer’s security. These programs can prevent a number of potential computer problems from happening in the first place as they will detect any problem before it reaches your computer.

Guard Your Password with Your Life

Your computer password can be compared to your social security number in that you never give out to anyone. This goes for all passwords, whether they are for your e-mail, bank account or computer. Should someone gain access to your security password they could potentially gain personal information such as bank account or credit card numbers and addresses that can be used for identity theft.

Basic E-Mail Concerns

To the new computer user e-mail might appear as if it is an electronic version of the snail mail. The problem is that there are potential risks that exist with e-mail that are not present old fashioned post. E-mails can contain harmful viruses and malicious software that can steal personal information or render a computer useless. This is why you should only open e-mails that come from trusted sources. You should also make sure that you do not download any unknown attachments as an attachment on e-mails is the number one way that computer users download viruses and spyware.

The Proper Way to Handle Sensitive Personal Information

The Internet and the world wide web can be filled with multiple websites that offer contests and giveaways. It is important to remember that your personal information needs to be protected online just as you would in any real life situation. This means if a contest or giveaway is asking for your bank account information, social security number and address then it is most likely a scam, and your details could fall into the wrong hands.

Authorized Sites Only

To protect your computer security and your personal information it is essential you only visit authorized and trusted websites. Viruses, worms and spyware can all be downloaded onto your computer when you visit an unauthorized or unknown website.

Following these basic computer security guidelines will allow you to use your computer and the Internet in a safe, secure way. By following these steps you will reduce your risk of downloading viruses and malicious software that could put the personal information in your computer at risk.

Don’t get pwned. (Owned, for those of you that don’t speak Warcraft-error speak.)

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Protecting Your Computer from Spam

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Spam has the potential to harm your computer and damage your financial standing and reputation. Investing in quality software, such as PC Tools Antivirus, is a smart way to protect your computer and prevent your important information from getting into the wrong hands.

Understanding Spam

Spam is typically transmitted through email. A spammer who has his hands on your email address can send you unwanted sales pitches. Someone can hack into your friend’s email account and spam everyone in his address book. In this scenario, you open your friend’s email and click on the enclosed link because you trust your friend. Little do you know that you have now landed on an unsafe website or downloaded a malicious file filled with malware.

Spam Damages Financial Standing and Reputation

Likewise, if a computer hacker gets into your computer, he can send out emails to everyone in your address book containing offensive messages and virus-filled documents. Your reputation is in danger in this scenario. Some people will know that your computer has been hacked. Others aren’t knowledgeable enough about computers and will jump to conclusions. In an even worse scenario, spam can result in the theft of important financial information from your computer. Identity theft is another large risk once someone has access to important personal data. All of these situations can bring on unwanted hassles.

Protecting Your Computer Using PC Tools Antivirus Software

Your best defense against such threats to your computer and to your personal information is to invest in antivirus software such as PC Tools Antivirus. With this product you can rest easy knowing that you will be alerted anytime your computer is presented with a malicious attack. You will benefit from automatic protection against viruses and other malware. You have the comfort of knowing that your computer is protected from spam and malicious threats at all times.

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How to Filter Emails that are Spam

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Most people who have email get in their inbox. It is annoying situation to the receiver of the spam. A receiver may even find the source of the email to be offensive to them. Care must be taken if opening them because it could be dangerous to a computer.

People will gather information about a person and sell it to a third party. To promote their business a third party will send out emails to these people. If the source of who sent the email is not known it would be best not to open the email or to especially click any links to download anything that is attached to the email.

There are alot of software out there that can help a person’s email. Some of these programs are free and yet still provide the protection that is needed for your email. Care needs to be taken when choosing software that provides that protection.

To know how good software is it would be a good idea to read information about it. This can be done by reading people’s reviews on forums and review websites. This will give you a way to form your own opinion of the product. You will want to know if the product meets your needs. For instance, does it place any restrictions on your email clients? Sometimes with these programs an email that is not actually spam will go to the spam folder anyway. You will not actually lose the email but it just will not be located in the inbox.

This email can easily be transferred to the inbox. In the future it should go to the inbox instead of the spam folder. There is also another alternative that will manually check whether an email is spam or real. It is called an email spamming program. Once it is installed on a computer all that is needed of the owner is to scan the individual emails.

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Ways to Avoid Being Spammed

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Email that is unsolicited is referred to as “spam”. Which is such a problem for some that it is hard to control? It actually similar to trying to control your junk mail at your business or even in your home. This can become a never ending cycle.

It is much easier to sort through the junk mail at home then it is on your computer. On the computer the volume is usually larger and harder to do away with then it is at home. Most people search for the perfect software to help with this problem only to find that the best solution is taking steps to avoid getting it in the first place.

Changing the way we do things could be the answer. Take into consideration the reasons for having email.First,communication for personal or business reasons with those that we already know. Then there is communicating with others to gain a personal or professional benefit. Communicating by email with someone we know usually does not get us into trouble. It is the communication with those who we do not know that gets us into trouble.

Our behavior towards email is what puts us under the radar. When your putting your email on a business card it could lead to being spammed. Registering for a service or website when online could be ways that could led you to get more spam. This may sound ridiculous but when you look at the bigger picture it makes sense. Just something as simple as dropping a business card in a fish bowl to win a free lunch could bring spam to your email or possibly your home. Putting your email on a social website could bring about the same. There are “crawlers” that can be used to scan the internet for email addresses. The best way to avoid this is not to have your email directly on your website.

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