In the past few weeks the media has been laden with stories about the theft of tens of thousands of credit card numbers from a major corporate website. Obviously there's not much we can do about companies who are lax when it comes to protecting their clients' data.
However, that does not make us powerless when it concerns our own security. Unfortunately in the past Windows PCs have been particularly targeted and vulnerable when it comes to hackers, virus writers, digital vandals and shady businesspeople. Microsoft has continually taken steps to correct the holes in its Windows platform but you still need to fend for yourself. In this column I'd like to suggest some steps you can take to protect your data.
Get a good firewall: You're going to need more of a firewall than what comes stock with Microsoft XP. There are a number of good software firewall programs out there (including a free download from ZoneAlarm from
zonelabs.com) that stops hackers from getting in and prevents spyware programs that may be on your PC from sending information out. Better yet, if you're really concerned about security, get an extra edge with a hardware firewall from a company such as Watchguard, SonicWall or others. Prices for a good brand begin at around $250.
Stop viruses: You've got to run an antivirus program. Recently I saw that ZoneAlarm Internet Security (which includes antivirus, firewall, and antispam apps built in) got great reviews but programs from Norton or MacAfee or Computer Associates should also be good. Figure on spending about $50, including a year of updates.
Stop spam: Purchase an antispam program. None are perfect but consider MailFrontier Desktop, available for $30 at
mailfrontier.com. It's had good reviews both in the Wall Street Journal and CNET.
Stop spyware: Spyware has become just as troublesome as viruses and you'll need to run an antispyware program such as Spy Sweeper from
webroot.com, Pest Control from Ad-aware (
LavaSoftUSA.com) or Spybot-Search & Destroy (
safer-networking.org). There are free versions of some of these products, which are quite useful, or you can purchase the standard ones for around $30. Like an antivirus program, they detect and remove spyware already on your PC, and also watch for, and block, new spyware.
Switch Browsers: Consider dumping Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser, which has a pathetic history of security problems. Try Firefox, which is free of charge (at
www.mozilla.org) and has some very cool features such as tabbed browsing, which permits you to view multiple pages on the same screen. It also has an excellent pop-up ad blocker.
Be Prudent: Don't open email attachments unless you're certain who sent it to you and by the same token, don't download software that has uncertain origins. Be careful of special plug-ins needed to view software. If you're going to need a viewer, download the more popular brands such as Real Networks, Apple or Macromedia from their "official" sites.
Stay Up to date: If you haven't yet installed Service Pack Two (SP2) from Microsoft, do so post haste. Make sure your "critical updates" from Microsoft are also installed.
Buy a Mac: It may seem like a copout for longtime PC users, but Macs are terrific machines and for the time being seem to be immune from the kinds of security breaches such as viruses and spyware that Windows are vulnerable to. It's a big step but it is an option. Note that all the above suggestions are applicable on Macs as well.
