A simple
set of precautions can go a long way in keeping
your computer healthy, virus free and safe against
hacker attack.
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E-mails are primary source of
virus infection Install an anti-virus software
with e-mail scanning facility immediately.
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Keep the anti-virus software
up-to-date. Update virus definition every
week. All anti-virus software provides for
on-line updating through Net.
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Never, never open a file attachment
unless you are absolutely sure of its content.
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Do not execute software that
is downloaded from the Internet unless it
has been scanned for viruses.
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Simply visiting a compromised
Web site can cause infection if certain browser
vulnerabilities are not patched. Always use
latest browser software.
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Turn off and remove unneeded
services. By default, many operating systems
install auxiliary services that are not critical,
such as an FTP client, telnet, and a Web server.
These services are avenues of attack. If they
are removed, blended threats have less avenues
of attack and you have fewer services to maintain
through patch updates.
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Set a maximum size for e-mails
you receive in your browser (e.g. 35 Kb).
All mails exceeding that size will remain
at server, not reach your computer. You will
instead receive a notification from mail administrator
- with an option to download the over-sized
e-mail. Most virus-carrying e-mails are bulky
(because of the file attachments) and get
filtered out automatically. You can selectively
download the e-mails you know genuine for
sure - and delete the rest from server. PLEASE
DO NOT FORGET TO DELETE THE UNWANTED MAILS
FROM SERVER EVERYDAY OR ELSE YOUR MAILBOX
GETS FULL AND STARTS BOUNCING ALL INCOMING
E-MAILS
HACKING -
A REAL DANGER
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Anti-Virus software with latest
updates can keep you safe from virus but not
hackers. Unscrupulous fellows, perverted minds
and plain cheats - generally known as 'Hacker'
can steal confidential information from your
computer and even damage your databases and
important files. They can even use your computer
as pawn to attack large systems (e.g. Yahoo,
Microfsoft etc.).
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If you store important information
in your computer that is connected with Internet
(directly or through LAN) and/or you use Internet
for long hours - hackers may target you.
-
Turn off and remove unneeded
services. By default, many operating systems
install auxiliary services that are not critical,
such as an FTP client, telnet, and a Web server.
These services are avenues of attack. If they
are removed, blended threats have less avenues
of attack and you have fewer services to maintain
through patch updates.
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Consider a Personal firewall.
There are many free and paid Firewalls available
in the Net. We have listed a few below.
SYSTEM
MAINTENANCE
Regular maintenance can keep your
system fast and efficient.
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Defrag and Optimize your hard
disk frequently
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If possible, add more RAM
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Remove unnecessary programs
from Start-Up
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Keep enough free space at C:
drive
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Take regular back-ups. You may
consider CD-RW as back-up option - it is fast,
convenient and comparatively affordable.
Personal
Firewall Software
Following is a list of well-known
personal firewall software. There are many good
ones outside this list, we obviously can not list
all in limited space.
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