6 Basic Security Rules You Can Follow
Doing a few things correctly, always following a few rules – things you can actually do – will achieve a lot of security.
Computer security is one area where logic must prevail over emotion. Thinking or believing everything is being done securely is not the same as actually doing so.
Below are a few basic security rules and reasons. It is not comprehensive. Even security experts admit it is impossible to do everything right all the time.
Still, if you follow the rules presented here, your computer will be more secure than many or most other peoples'. Thieves and crackers have something in common: In general, when a car or house is locked or a computer is secure, they'll try the next one until they find an insecure one.
My qualification for writing this article doesn't come from studying security full time. Instead, it comes from over a decade of internet computer programming, including clean-up of infected websites. Understand I am not a security expert. I just know some things about it that can help reduce personal risk associated with lax security.
Here are 6 basic security rules you can follow.
Rule 1: Keep your computer's operating system and other software updated.
Why? Responsible software publishers update their software to close security holes when they are revealed. Crackers search for old versions of software to take advantage of known security issues.
Rule 2: Install professional and effective virus/trojan software and run it as recommended by the software publisher or distributor. Keep the software updated.
Why? To reduce to a minimum the chance of becoming infected.
A malware infection can:
- Put your usernames and passwords into the hands of crackers.
- Spam from your computer.
- Infect your friends's computers.
- Infect your websites.
- Other nasty things.
Virus and trojans can
- Damage your data beyond recovery.
- Spread to other computers.
- Other nasty things.
Rule 3: When your computer asks if it is OK to run or install something, don't habitually click the affirmative button. Instead, pay attention to what is being asked and decide whether or not you really want to run or install the thing.
Why? Virus/trojan/malware software may be asking for permission to run, perhaps with benign-seeming names. Don't unwittingly grant bad software permission to wreak havoc on your computer.
Rule 4: Use a unique and strong password for everything.
Why? A strong password to avoid guessing. Still, just in case, guessing or otherwise obtaining one of your passwords gives crackers access to only one account. If several accounts had the same password, the cracker would have the password to each of those accounts.
Rule 5: Don't click on any link in email that purports to be related to a website where you would have to log in. Instead, when you want to log in, type the website's URL into your browser's address bar or use your own bookmarks.
Why? The link in the email could be a malicious link to get a virus or trojan or some malware into your computer. There are numerous ways, some quite devious, to make malicious links appear benevolent, to make you think the link is to one place when it actually sends your browser to another. (And, that other can actually and truly look exactly like the website you are used to – the crackers just copied the website to fool you.)
Rule 6: Don't open email attachments, even when sent from a friend's email address, unless you were expecting it.
Why? Opening a cracker's attachment can infect your computer. The reason not to open attachments, even when sent from a friend's email address, is because the friend's email address may be spoofed in the email or the friend's email account may have been broken into.
Bonus rule: Rely on your intelligent examination of the things you do to conclude you are doing things in a secure manner.
Why? When it comes to computer security, belief and confidence are no substitute for the actuality.
Those rules are things you can actually do. Following them will achieve a lot of security for you.
Will Bontrager
