Patches and Updates
Don't be alarmed !
« This dynamic panel is created by
AuditMyPC an excellent
site which has free tests for your firewall, antivirus, spyware and patch
status, and it's easy to use.
I have included it simply to demonstrate how a novice web surfer might be conned into thinking they had a security problem and offered a " fix " for only $ ??,... just enter your credit card details and download our leading edge software....... yeah, right.
I use this type of info ( as do many others ) to gauge webpage usage and popularity. Other information, eg. a visitor's screen size is also available. Eg. at the moment 1024 X 768 is the most common, however as LCD monitors become more prevalent there will be a shift towards 1280 X 1024 ( a common native resolution for LCD's ). Even so a great many people still use 800 X 600 and webmasters can use this information to reformat their pages accordingly if necesary.
Corporate solutions are also available.
Free software
Note: Internet Explorer 7 will only run on Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, and Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1).
All have frequent updates available to maintain their effectiveness. Check for updates and scan your computer for viruses and adware / spyware at least once a week.
I would suggest you read the specifications of these or products to make sure they suit your needs, ( if for example you have a small network ) and consider donating to those who ask, after all you are benefiting from their efforts.
Skip if you don't use XP
If you are running Windows® XP with Service Pack 2 installed on a typical home PC the inbuilt firewall will provide adequate intrusion protection but you still need antivirus and spyware detection.
If you still don't have Service Pack 2 installed, I strongly advise you to do so. The transition is fairly painless ( if you know what you're doing ) and very worthwhile. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS.
Ignore the vast majority of the negative publicity which has been directed
at SP2. A number
of security issues were addressed and the initial teething troubles have been
dealt with. It seems that some applications wouldn't work properly after SP2 and
the follow up patches had been installed, ( windows firewall notwithstanding )
could there be a lesson here ?
See
windowsecurity.com for detailed info.
e-Commerce and On-line Shopping
On-line shopping and banking have become a way of life for literally millions
of people worldwide. You may well ask " if there are so many computer security and hence
privacy risks, are all these people completely crazy or at the very least
foolhardy " ?
The simple answer is no they're not. The reality is that shopping
or banking on-line is likely to be safer than a trip to the local shopping mall,
( a lot quicker and easier too ).
Websites that require you to reveal
confidential personal info reside on servers which employ Secure Socket Layer (
SSL ) protocol. This simply means that any info passing between you and the
website is encrypted and hence indecipherable to anyone else. Secure sites are
readily identified by their Uniform Resource
Locator header - https:// instead of the usual http:// - see a
screenshot here. ( opens in a new window ).
That's a very brief introduction to the security measures employed to protect your personal information,
credit card details, etc when sent to a remote website. This protection is of little use if you don't take some steps to protect this information yourself , so
please read on.
Always check carefully that the URL in
the address box is correct. If your unsure, close the browser and verify the URL
of the site you were trying to access.
Remember, cyrillic ( foreign alphabet ) characters can mimic English characters so a bogus website address could look identical to the legitimate one. As a
quick check, copy and paste the address into a word processor and see if it reads the
same.
Unencrypted personal details, passwords, bank account / credit card numbers etc are a gift to a would be thief which is why a firewall , antivirus and spyware removal software is ESSENTIAL and MUST be frequently updated.
It might also ( unfortunately ) be worth remembering to use good local security practices, eg. password on screensaver, Universal Serial Bus keys, a card reader or even a fingerprint scanner.
A little common sense goes a long way too, if you've got a folder or file on your hard drive or removable media eg. CD, floppy disk etc, called " my card numbers " or " my passwords " ........ ( think I'm kidding ? - I'm not ! ) you can expect the obvious outcome.
Visit Bev's Homewares for Australian consumer info with links to a lot of detailed info. Also take a look at the section about credit cards ( about halfway down the page ).
Visa Asia
Pacific also provide excellent
cardholder Info
Of particular interest is the
cardholder security page
PayPal also offer excellent consumer advice
PayPal - Security Centre
Internet privacy isn't a true oxymoron even though it might seem that way at
times.
Visit
privacy.gov.au to read about Australian privacy laws.
Want to know more ?? here's 4 excellent sites :-
