System Security Tips for Protecting your PC

We all hear the stories: Massive identity theft, botnets, phishing -- whatever it is, someone's out to get you if you're not careful online. Unfortunately, one of the ways these nightmares can take over your life is through virtual booby-traps such as tainted e-mail attachments, look-alike websites that pop up at even the slightest typo, and even the dreaded security hole in your software installations -- all of which are enough to merit a few choice words that are not worth printing here (for obvious reasons, of course).

The good news is that you don't have to risk your system (or your sanity, identity or whatever) if you follow a few basic procedures for keeping your computer as safe as possible from these outside threats. If followed exactly to the point as described, these procedures can minimize the risk of a personal computing nightmare... or worse.

Perhaps the oldest trick in the book is for a piece of code to slip through undetected that ultimately bakes itself into your system, sends out copies of itself and begins to wreak havoc on your data -- and maybe even your daily life. While computer virus attacks, as they are traditionally known, are not the most commonly-referenced means of attack they once were, these duds can still pack a punch, so you need to be ready for anything. Same goes for spyware. If something gets into your computer that logs your keystrokes and tracks you online it can be a real pain in the backside -- especially if it leads to identity theft (or worse).

The best way to avoid these traps is to stay away from questionable sources, some of which I will mention as we proceed through this discussion. But if that's not enough (and the baddies take a more conspicuous way in) you'll need a good backup plan to account for that (read: a good security maintenance package). Tools from sources like McAfee and Webroot can provide a good stopgap to help protect your computer if due diligence isn't enough and should always be updated as frequently as possible. Installing their software firewall products (or using the built-in Windows firewall) is also a must. Of course, if budget is an issue then consider a number of free security products, like our free anti-virus shootout winner Avira AntiVir Personal.

Speaking of updates, it should be a priority to keep your operating system and application files as recent as possible to lessen the chance of an intruder sneaking in from behind. Updated system and application files will have the most currently-known repairs to the proverbial holes-in-the-wall so that known exploitable weaknesses in the structure are plugged up with electronic superglue that will keep even the most dedicated crooks from breaking in and pulling the rug under your feet with these issues. It is also recommended that you enable the most important of these updates to download and install automatically so that you're not stuck in the mud if you're away from the computer. I detail the process of using Windows Update to search for and apply updates across common Microsoft applications; for other programs and operating systems, follow the procedures described by their vendors (but don't worry too much, as the procedure is quite similar no matter where your software is from).

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