10 Steps To A Safe, Smooth Running PC



By Michael A Silva

These ten steps will help you increase your computer's

security. From discovering viruses to learning how to avoid

them, this article is a must read!

Windows password This is the easiest way to make sure you

know who is using your pc. Choose a lengthy password that

contains capital and lower case letters. Including a number

or two will greatly increase your security. Having a

Windows password means that the only people that can log

onto a Windows session are people that you have granted

access to.

Password manager You should never write your passwords

down. Using the same password all the time will also make

it very easy for hackers to reach your personal

information. So if you can’t write it down and you’re not

supposed to use the same one – how are you supposed to keep

track of all of your passwords? The easiest way to do this

is to use a password manager. We prefer to use Roboform.

Roboform is an easy to use password and profile manager

that docks neatly into your Internet Explorer toolbar and

keeps track of all of your passwords for you. Roboform also

uses a master password system. You will have one password

that accesses all of the passwords in the program. This way

you can keep all of your information safe and secure. You

can download Roboform for free by http://www.roboform.com.

Spyware Remover Next to spam, spyware is the internet’s

biggest annoyance. By definition, spyware is “any software

that covertly gathers user information through the user's

Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually

for advertising purposes. Once installed, the spyware

monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that

information in the background to someone else. Spyware can

also gather information about e-mail addresses and even

passwords and credit card numbers." The amount of spyware

that exists on your pc is dependent on the amount of

internet surfing you do. A good rule of thumb here is to

scan for spyware once per week or whenever poor system

performance surfaces. If you don’t have a spyware scanner,

we recommend http://www.webroot.com.

Antivirus This should go without saying, but if your

computer is connected to the internet you need antivirus

software. With weekly scans and program updates you should

be protected from most threats. For added protection, we

recommend using more than one anvtivirus scanner.

Firewall A firewall will keep unwanted visitors out of your

computer. You can obtain a firewall either by using

software application like ZoneAlarm or Black Ice Defender,

or by using a router with your internet connection. For

more information on routers plese visit http://www.Linksys.com.

File sharing Basically, file sharing programs are the

single biggest security risk you will come across. This is

because the only facts you have about the files you are

downloading are the file name and the file size. It is

quite simple to change a filename to dupe someone into

downloading a virus or other malware like keystroke

recorders. Our advice – stay away from file sharing at all

costs. If you need to use it, make sure you have updated

antivirus software installed and running.

Research In a sentence – know what’s out there.

http://www.Symantec.com has a section on their website

that will serve you well. Knowing what types of viruses exist

and how to avoid them will make you a much smarter

internet user.

Email protection Most of the antivirus applications

available offer email scanning. If yours does not, you will

want to get one that does. Email scanning will make sure

all of your incoming and outgoing emails are safe for both

you and the recipient. Email viruses spread very quickly by

using your address book to propagate. Never read email from

people you don’t know and always make sure your email

scanner is active.

Network security Another way that viruses spread is through

computer networks. We have a few quick tips to keep your

network safe. Always scan any files that come in from other

computers. Even if it’s a file you have brought from home.

Never allow a file to be placed on your network until it

has been scanned. The main server should be the only

computer with file sharing enabled. By not allowing

computer users to transmit files, you can quickly

neutralize a threat.

Maintenance Performing weekly virus and spyware scans will

go a long way to keeping your computer safe. Defragmenting

weekly will also greatly improve performance. If you put in

the effort, you will be rewarded with a safe and smooth

running pc. Not to mention less headaches!

By following these ten guide lines, you will greatly

improve the performance of your computer. You will also

generate peace of mind as you gain a new sense of security.