How Secured is Your PC

Is keeping your PC secured important?

Nowadays, the amount of data a person keeps in his computer makes him almost wholly dependent on it for information retrieval. It is therefore very important to secure your computer from being accessed by external parties without your permission.

Following areas are of great concern:

Once regarded little more nuisance, the prevalence of spam has reached a point where many users have begun to express a general lack of confidence in the effectiveness of e-mail transmissions, and increased concern over the spread of computer viruses via unsolicited messages.

Get spam blocking software. Competition here is strong and is sparking a lot of innovation.

Encryption

Your computer when unguarded, can be a goldmine of personal information to an identity thief. Will encryption stop people from accessing my information?

Phishing

Phishing (pronounced as "fishing") is defined as the act of sending an email to a recipient falsely claiming to have an established, legitimate business. The intent of the phisher is to scam you into surrendering your private information, and ultimately steal your identity.

It is not at easy as you think to spot an email phishing for information. At first glance, the email may look like it is from a legitimate company. The "From" field of the e-mail may have the .com address of the company mentioned in the e-mail. The clickable link even appears to take you to the company's website, when in fact, it is a fake website built to replicate the legitimate site.

Many of these people are professional criminals. They have spent a lot of time in creating emails that look authentic. Users need to review all emails requesting personal information carefully. When reviewing your email remember that the "From Field" can be easily changed by the sender. While it may look like it is coming from a .com you do business with, looks can be deceiving. Also keep in mind that the phisher will go all out in trying to make their email look as legitimate as possible. They will even copy logos or images from the official site to use in their emails. Finally, they like to include a clickable link that the recipient can follow to conveniently update their information.

A great way to check the legitimacy of the link is to point at the link with your mouse. Then, look in the bottom left hand screen of your computer. The actual website address to which you are being directed will show up for you to view. It is a very quick and easy way to check if you are being directed to a legitimate site.

Can you tell if you have become a victim of identity theft? Some signs include unexplained charges or withdrawals from your financial accounts; bills or other mail stop arriving (the thief may have submitted a change of address); a credit application is denied for no apparent reason, or debt collectors begin calling about merchandise or services you didn't buy.

Encryption simply makes it harder for people to gain access to important information, like passwords or sensitive information in a file.

Antivirus, Spyware and Adware

Protecting your computer from virus is getting harder and harder each day. Spyware and Adware are not only an ever increasing nuisance for computer users everywhere, but also a booming industry.

The aggressive advertising and spying tactics demonstrated by some of these programs, require an equally aggressive response from a seasoned eradicator.

The amount of effort to find and provide fixes for viruses is staggering. Malicious programs are getting more complex and the number of them is increasing.

Albert

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