 |
| Are You an Internet Security Wizard? |
I remember the days of being able to leave the house to visit a neighbor without
thinking about things like locking the front door.
I could leave the windows open to let the breeze blow through the house and not
be concerned that someone might try to get in. After all, people just didn't do that in those days.
Today, we have dead bolts and alarm systems, we keep the house closed up and locked if we are not there (and
sometimes even if we are), because things have changed and we need to protect ourselves.
This is just common sense home security.
I remember the days of being able to get online to visit web sites without thinking about
things like securing my connection. I could open e-mail attachments and not be concerned that they were not what they seemed to be. After all, people just didn't do that in those days.
Today we have firewalls and antivirus programs, we keep the security locked down if we venture onto the Web
(and especially if we have an always on connection), because things have changed and we need to protect ourselves.
This is just common sense computer security.
This site is designed to give an overview of what we can do to keep our computers safer and more secure while we are on the Internet. My intention here is to give you a chance to learn about these programs in a general way so that you can be more informed about what is out there - and how to KEEP it out! This is not a technical site that gets into the chips and resistors of creating an impenetrable defense, it is a site that tries to explain some things in non-geek terms so that you can understand and learn. Every day, more and more programs are being developed to gather information about us, take over our web browser, and send us 'targeted advertising' in the form of pop-up windows. Chances are good that you have some of these programs on your computer right now without even knowing that they are there!
Doing some basic things to make your computer more secure and 'bug-free' is simple once you know what to do. Practicing these things, and encouraging others to do the same, will help everyone enjoy their computers a little more.
This is just Common Sense Security!
There are several scripts on this site that could be blocked by certain programs (like Internet Explorer with XP Service Pack 2). These scripts are for parasite detection and antivirus scanners. If you get a message that Active Content has been blocked and you are not comfortable allowing these scripts to run, you will still be able to get all of the information on this site, but you may not see all of the links to other sites that provide these services.
One note: When it comes to securing my computer, I believe in having different programs that do one thing well, rather than having a suite of programs that are all rolled together in a package. That way, if I find a program to be more difficult to use than another, I can switch it out with one that does the same thing. A suite will not usually allow that. And since most of the programs I use for security are free, there is no need to feel that I have to get my money's worth, even if I don't like it.
The other thing that I dislike about suites of security programs is that if they stop working, it usually means ALL parts are broken. That leaves a lot of holes in my security while I try to get the suite working again, and that can be a real bear to fix.
