Some thoughts on Security...

Everyday I either read, hear about, or witness firsthand someone's computer that has been infected or infested with malware.  Upon initial inspection there are several obvious signs as to why it happened so easily.  The first thing I check once I start going through the process of removing a virus/worm/trojan from a computer is if their anti-virus software is running the latest version with the most current anti-virus signatures.  Believe it or not, 95% of the time it is not.  Also, I will notice that there are several alerts sitting in the Windows taskbar area.  Those alerts being Windows Update, Adobe Flash update, Adobe Shockwave update, Adobe Reader update, to name a few.  Hmmm, I wonder how the malware got onto this infected computer to begin with?

This absolutely scares me.  From computers running unpatched/outdated software, to unpatched operating systems, to systems running anything older than Windows XP.  I've seen it all!  Why do people neglect their computers that they use to do online banking, buy merchandise online, and read/write personal messages from-to family & friends?  But will make sure their car is in tip-top shape to be able to commute to-from work or go on the family vacation?

Keeping your computer safe & secure should be no different.  In this day and age it should be of an utmost priority.  You're actually putting yourself more at risk if you get infected with malware, as opposed to having your car break down and be dealt an inconvenience.

With all the scary malware out there designed to steal your personal information, banking credentials, and email credentials, care for your computer should be taking center stage.  The cybercrime aspect of Identity theft is the fastest growing crime.  A vast part of that growing trend is that personal information (names, addresses, social security #'s, DOBs, etc.) are stolen, then harvested by cybercriminals, which in turn are sold & traded on the blackmarket for a price.  In a study done by security researches a couple of years ago, bank heists that are committed by cybercriminals have surpassed that of actual holdups using weapons.  This alarming trend is continuing to climb.

So as you can see, keeping your computer(s), your home network, and your personal information safe is just as important, if not, more important than keeping your car tuned up & in tiptop shape.  There are also other things that will aid in keeping your computer and home network safe aside from what I mentioned above.  Making sure you use a firewall, some kind of content filtering software, and being careful of the software you download and install from a questionable website.  This is what's called a "layered" security approach.  If one line of defense were to fail, you have still have the other layers that will help protect you.  There's more to this theory, but giving you the basics should be enough to protect you.

Here's a link to an NSA (National Security Agency) article to use in helping to keep your computers and home network safe.  The article (PDF) is called Best Practices for Keeping your Home Network Safe .  I highly recommend it!  Read it, then pass it on to your family & friends.

Keep safe out there people!  The Internet is one hell of a scary place!

--ma
Michael