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Keeping monsters at bay
Did your internet account get hacked last month? Does your inbox overflow with unsolicited e-mail messages? Are you ready to toss your PC into the trash because it generates too many errors? If you said “yes” to any of the questions, then you need to learn how to protect your PC from the monsters of digital world.
The monsters that ravage this world are called Worms, Trojans and Viruses and they want to destroy what you cherish most — your computer. However, they are not the only threat.
You also have to be on guard against Spyware, Bots! and Digital Spiders who want to steal information and generate system errors until your software crashes. The greatest protection you need, however, is from people who want to steal information to harm you.
Here’s how you can protect your PC:
1) Install all Windows security patches: This task should be at the top of your to-do list and that’s because no normal user does this. Without exception, every version of Windows ever released has included bugs and defects. These are the same bugs that hackers and virus creators exploit.
Microsoft periodically releases service packs which incorporate all bug fixes and security updates and not installing those is literally asking for trouble. Thus, one should always be updated on these patches and to do this you can configure Windows’ Automatic Updates feature.
To configure this feature, open the System option in Control Panel and click the Automatic Updates tab. Choose to receive notifications only, download the updates automatically or have Windows update your system files automatically.
2. Install and configure a firewall: A firewall is a software that acts like a shield for the PC. It protects you from renegade software that you might download unknowingly, online hackers and spyware. This extra layer of protection is particularly important for a computer with an “always on” internet connection.
A firewall works to stop your programs accessing the internet without your knowledge and conversely it doesn’t let anyone or anything access your PC from the net, stopping viruses and hackers from breaking into your system.
The best firewall, which is also the easiest to use, is ‘ZoneAlarm’. It is available with all our local CD vendors or you can download it from
3. Install and configure Antivirus software: Viruses and worms are the worst things that you will find on the internet. These are like any another file on your system. The only difference is that when you double click an MP3 file, it plays a song. When you open a virus or worm, it can:
• Destroy the data on your hard disk;
• Slow your system performance down tremendously;
• Display unusual messages on your screen;
• Make your data go missing, and;
• Make it impossible for you to access anything on your hard drive.
You can unwittingly bring viruses or worms into your computer by loading an infected program or file from the internet or opening an e-mail attachment that carries the virus or worm.
Also, beware of the “Trojan Horse”. Remember how that horse was used to break into the city of Troy when nothing else was working? Soldiers were hiding inside it when the horse was wheeled into the city. At night these soldiers opened the gates so that the enemy troops could march in and destroy the city.
Trojan Horses will install on your system and wait for commands from the programmer. It can steal any type of information it wants to, ranging from your email account passwords to credit card information and send it back. It can also be used to let a hacker break into the system.
To guard yourself against these threats you will require an Antivirus. It works by scanning all the programs on your computer and any email you may send or receive. If it finds a virus on your computer, it warns you and then deletes the infected file, thus protecting your system.
This is a software that only has to be installed on your system once — after that it works automatically. You can download ‘AVG Antivirus’ from
Antivirus programs use “definitions” to work properly. Remember, viruses are nothing more than programs coded to cause damage. These “definitions” therefore are files that contain information about all such known “programs”, which can infect your system and cause damage to your data.
Since virus makers release new viruses almost on a daily basis, you should keep your definitions updated at all times. You can update your software by pressing the “Update” button in your Antivirus.
The writer is a freelance contributor
