Quick Byte's Quick Guide To Security

 updated 2/4/07

1. Understand What You Are Doing With The Tools You Are Using.

Installing any of the software mentioned below is only the first step. Keeping it up to date, understanding how it works, and making sure it is doing what it is supposed to do is absolutely necessary. This takes surprisingly less effort than most people think.

2. Have A Backup Plan

"The Quick Byte Quick Guide To Backing Up" is a good place to start if you don't already have a backup plan. There are several other articles on the subject in the article archive as well that maybe worth your while.

3. Use Norton Antivirus And Keep It Up To Date

4. Make Sure You Have The Latest Windows Updates

5. Use A Firewall

6. Stop Spyware

These concerns are so closely entwined that it's difficult to talk about one without crossing over into another. The upside to this is that there is absolutely no reason to make the effort.

As far as I'm concerned, the only two choices for antivirus are Symantec's Norton Antivirus and McAfee's VirusScan. There are other capable products out there, but year in and year out, these are the two antivirus programs that win the major awards. Either product is fine, but Quick Byte recommends Norton and this guide and all Quick Byte security information is tailored to it. Any version older than 2006 should be upgraded and the 2007 versions are highly recommended.

I decided to go with Norton about seven years ago, a time when virus scares were regular front page news. At the time, I really didn't understand where McAfee was going with it's antiviral products and I didn't like it's interface in comparison to Norton's own elegance. Over the years, these feelings have been reinforced.

Norton isn't perfect, but the problems I've had with it are minor, primarily to do with installation. It can also be a bit of a resource hog on underpowered systems. However, Norton Antivirus has been keeping my entire client base safe for years. It would take seismic changes for me to switch to another program. In a nutshell, Norton has long since proven itself to me.

Norton Antivirus 2005-7 also comes with basic firewall and spyware protection which get the job done. Norton's Internet Security package has a beefed up firewall which many experts recommend over the basic firewall in Norton Antivirus, but I find to be a bit more obtrusive than it is worth.

Of course, none of these programs will do you much good unless they are kept up to date, and Windows itself needs to be updated regularly for security purposes. Fortunately, this has gotten a lot easier to monitor since Windows XP Service Pack 2 introduced the Windows Security Center, a windows control panel that monitors antivirus, windows update, and firewall protection. Norton Antivirus 2005 and up have a similar capability built in, particularly the 2006-7 versions which introduced the Norton Protection Center. You should get to know your way around whichever is monitoring your system.

Users of older versions of windows may not be able to take advantage of the Norton Security Center and should get to know their way around Norton and the Windows Update process as it exists in those operating systems.

For additional firewall protection, a hardware router with built in firewall is recommended. As for spyware, Microsoft's free http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx>Windows Defender product has served me very well over the last year. Between it and the spyware protection in Norton, most users will be fine, particularly if they obey the following caveat…

7. TANSTAFFL

If you think downloading stolen music, a free game, free porn, or free software is a good idea, you might well be wrong, in fact, you probably are. A lot of the time, those freebies come with spyware too, and in general the more obscure the source, the nastier the spyware. Most of the virus and spyware problems I deal with are a result of people trying to get something for nothing.

There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.

8. Get A Decent Surge Protector or a Uninterrupted Power Supply

I recommend models from Belkin and APC. Most importantly, make sure that any and all things that use electricity and pass through the computer are plugged into the surge protector. This includes phone lines, printers, cable/dsl modems and whatever else you can think of. If you're using a network storage device, keep it on a separate outlet altogether. Replace surge protectors and UPS devices every 3 years or so, each manufacturer has their own recommendations.

9. Use Your Head

Spend 20 minutes a week reading about computer issues. 5 of those minutes should be spent reading messages on your screen before you do something haphazardly. The other 15 should be spent reading about something in computers that interests you or might be helpful. If you read nothing else on the subject besides these newsletters, the NY Times Circuits section is great. You can get it on Thursday at newsstands. Check out cnet.com or PC Magazine for a heck of a lot more.

10. Have A Blast

Find something fun to do with the computer. It's the best way to get comfortable using one. Get a digital camera, try downloading music (safely), write Buffy Fan Fic. Whatever floats your boat, right?

Entire Document (print, email, or web page) Copyright 2004 by Steven M. Lastoe. All rights reserved.