I.T Security Tips

Tips to protect your P.C from
Risks & viruses

The Basics: Spotting and Eliminating Threats
As the saying goes, before you can run, you must learn how to walk. And you can
consider your first baby step into computer security installing the basic software
needed to detect and eliminate threats.

Use a firewall
You can think of a firewall as a sort of shell around your computer that identifies and
filters out threats, while letting secure information pass through it and reach your
computer. Because a firewall serves this all-important filtering role between your
computer and the internet, using a firewall is the very first step on the path to
computer security.

Presenation done by uK Mishra,Your coments
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Install and run anti-spyware software

Today, the most common form of malware that internet users encounter is
spyware. In fact, a recent study estimated that 9 out of 10 computers connected to
the Internet are currently infected with some form of spyware. Spyware can take a
variety of forms, however, some of the most common effects are that it causes
unsolicited pop-ups to appear, steals personal information, monitors internet activity
for marketing purposes, or routes your website requests to other spammy
advertising sites.


Install and update anti-virus software

A good firewall will filter out many of the threats facing your computer, however,
some malware is always going to find its way onto your PC. For example, viruses,
worms, Trojan horses and other forms of malware can find their way onto your
computer by various means a firewall cannot detect, including downloading
malicious email attachments and files from the internet. So to protect your PC you'll
also need strong regularly updated anti-virus software. While a firewall protects your
computer from the outside, an anti-virus program will work from the inside of your
computer, hunting down hidden viruses and deleting them, while also scanning
attachments and downloads before they can infect your computer.


Tweaking Settings and Making Usage
Adjustments
Strengthen your web browser security
You connect to the internet through your internet browser. And whether you use
Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera or anything else, this is a point of major weakness
in any computer's defenses. Hackers often target their attacks on your computer by
focusing on flaws in browsers or their plug-ins and using drive-by downloads, to get
your computer to download malware through the browser without you even knowing
that something was downloaded. Because of this threat, web browser security
upgrades are an important early step in your PC security overhaul.

Install the latest OS service pack
Hackers are constantly developing new types of malware, some of which try to
exploit weaknesses in an operating system to get into your computer. Therefore, it
is important to always install the latest Windows OS Service Pack (SP) updates in
order to keep your computer secure. Microsoft releases patches and updates for
their Windows operating systems once a month on "Patch Tuesday."


Disable file sharing on your hard drives

While securing your wifi router will help keep hackers from getting access to your
network, what about the potential for harm from people who already have
legitimate access to your network? Having a firewall will certainly help, but it may
not be enough. One of the best ways to limit your exposure to intra-network harms
is by prohibiting file sharing access from foreign machines.


Safely Emailing

Email was originally designed to enable academics and scientists to communicate
with one another. And because it was created with the thought that only trusted
individuals would send files back and forth, email's security weaknesses were never
a concern while the technology was being developed. Unfortunately, spammers and
hackers came along with the popularity of email, but by then the technology was far
too popular to redesign. As a result of its inherent security weaknesses, it is very
important to take the necessary steps to strengthen your email security through add-
on protections and by tailoring the way you use your email


Use a first-rate email client
Just because all email clients deliver your email, does not mean they are equally
effective when it comes to PC security. An effective email client should provide
your computer with another layer of protection by effectively filtering out all the
unwanted email messages bound for your inbox, as well as providing some basic
email attachment virus scanning.
Handle email attachments carefully
When you download an attachment, your computer presumes that you know
what you're doing. Consequently, your firewall won't check the attachment to
make sure that its safe, which leaves just a cursory scan by your email client as
the only protection between an attachment and your computer. Given the low
level of security surrounding attachments, it's no surprise that hackers often try
to hide their harmful programs in spam email attachments. In fact, an estimated
90 percent of viruses enter computers this way

Suggestions:
Do not open attachments from strangers, or even from well-known companies,
no matter how official or familiar the email appears to be. Spammers often use
very creative techniques to make their emails and their attachments look
legitimate, and they are getting increasingly good at it.


Do not click on email links haphazardly

A common phishing scam technique is to embed a link in an authentic-looking but
fake email message which leads to a malicious website. These email messages
usually try to trick people into clicking on the link and giving up personal
information in order to supposedly "confirm their financial information" or even
just to "unsubscribe" from a newsletter they never signed up for in the first place.
Another variant on this same scheme simply installs a virus on your computer
after you click on the link via a technique called drive-by downloading

Suggestions:
o Do not click on links in questionable emails. Reputable companies might
send an email saying there's a problem with your account, but they'll never
include a link "for your convenience" proclaiming to have lost all of your
data. Even if you personally follow email best practices, family members
using shared email accounts may still unwittingly click on malicious links and
infect your computer


Set up email filters

Internet Service Providers (ISP's) are all currently developing effective spam
filtering in order to minimize the amount of spam that reaches your email client.
And just as that extra level of filtering helps to reduce the levels of spam that reach
your inbox, so too you can add your own supplemental filtering level by setting up
your own personal email filters. While your ISP filter and email client filter will
together dramatically limit the amount of spam that gets through, it is only by
adding a manual filtering component through custom filtering that you can achieve
near zero spam levels.


Protecting Your Password
You would never consider setting the combination of your family safe to something
as simple as, "1 … 2 … 3." But even though computer and Internet passwords
provide access to far more money than your home safe, many people set
themselves up to get hacked when they select passwords that are far too simple
or that are changed too infrequently
Keep hackers guessing
Hackers use a variety of techniques to attempt to guess passwords. One of the
most effective methods is known as "dictionary hacking" in which hackers simply
run a computer program that attempts common words and number combinations.
Suggestions:
o Use strong passwords of at least 7 characters long, with a mix lower and
uppercase letters and digits. Example: AxV37TtP0.
o Never use common words or names in your password. In fact, making up
new words is an effective way to keep hackers from guessing your password.
o Change your passwords regularly. No matter how closely you guard your
password, it will eventually become compromised. By changing your
password regularly, however, you can ensure that by the time a hacker gets
a hold of your password you've already changed it.

Do not use a neighbor's wifi connection

Often hackers setup free, seemingly unprotected wifi connections in convenient
locations such as apartment complexes and airports. While these unsecured
connections might just be an individual who hasn't taken the time to protect his
network, they might also be "honeypots", or traps set by hackers to snag your
personal details.

Suggestions:
o1.If you absolutely must use "public" wifi, make sure to encrypt and protect the
data that your computer sends out. You should also encrypt your instant
messages if you plan on using the service from such a vulnerable access point.
o2.Never sign into financial accounts (banking, Paypal, etc) while connected to
a public network. In fact, try to type in as little private information as possible
when accessing the internet via any unsecured wifi connection.


Be mindful of what you are clicking on
Many websites that hosts harmful content will use banners and pop up
advertisements, pretending to be an error messages or offering you a
prize. When you visit these sites harmful content is downloaded into
your computer. Avoid being tempted in the first place.

Be aware of what you are downloading
Don't download software from a website that's full of advertisements, or
listings of 'free' programs, these are often fake files. Be cautious and
question them, scan them with security software prior to opening or
only download programs from reputable or corporate websites


Purchase security software
Many users are not aware that using pirated software can not protect
user's computer against threats and the pirated software from
unauthorized third parties may contain viruses.

Be careful before you open your removable media
Many malicious programs attack your computers and spread via USB
storage. USB Disk Security can protect your computer against any threats
via removable media.

Update Windows when prompted
Microsoft release updates for Windows regularly. They include important
security patches and tools. Install them when prompted to patch up
security gaps in your operating system, browser or third party software.

Take extra care when using Peer-To-Peer programs
Since files shared on P2P networks are not policed. Anyone can release
anything they want via this medium. As such get into the habit of
scanning the files you downloaded before running/executing them.


Accept incoming files when you expect them and from people
that you know
Some threats have the ability to infect machines and automatically send
copies of themselves to that user's contact list. It may appear that your
friend is sending you a file but it may turn out to be a malicious program
propagating itself.

Know your File Formats
Images usually come in .jpg .jpeg .png .bmp .gif .tif formats.
Executables come in .exe .bat .com .dll formats. If someone says they
are sending you a photo but the file ends with .exe or .com, please do
not open it. They're obviously mistaken or potentially endangering you.

Be aware of what's happening
There are various places to seek for help and learn more about your
computer. It pays to be knowledgeable on your computer, as malicious
threats often take advantage of those who are unaware of what's
happening.


Q&A


Thank You

Presenation done by uK
Mishra,Your coments will
be highly Appreciable~
umakant@gmx.com

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