Even though your computer may not contain thousands of credit card numbers, the names of CIA stringers, top-secret FBI information, or other highly sensitive data, it does contain your information. As a result, you probably don’t want a stranger snooping on your computer, tracking your moves when you pay bills online, or sending emails from your account. For these reasons and many others, it’s important to protect your computer from the outside world. Even though most of us agree that network security is important, not all of us know how to secure our networks properly. Furthermore, even if you avoid online banking and similar (theoretically risky) activities, that doesn’t mean that you and your computer might not be the victim of an attack. According to the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute, “Even if you have a computer connected to the Internet only to play the latest games or to send email to friends and family, your computer may be a target.” If hacked, your computer could be used to attack other computers and bog down a network. Intruders could also send emails from your account or track your online activity and see everything you enter into a Web site—including passwords and credit card numbers. Buckle Up Just as you take a risk every time you get in a car and drive somewhere, you’re taking a risk whenever your computer connects to the Internet. This risk is present regardless of your type of connection: dial-up, broadband, or via another network. But just as many of us refuse to stop driving simply because there’s a chance we’ll be involved in an automobile accident, giving up the Internet isn’t something we’re willing to consider either. In much the same way you protect yourself by putting on a seatbelt and driving safely, you can protect yourself on the Internet. Instead of a seatbelt for your computer, you’ll need a few basic tools to protect your PC against intruders. All operating systems and network connections should have a firewall, antivirus protection, antispyware protection, and—on wireless networks—encryption. Firewall. A firewall makes your network invisible to the outside world. Think of it like an unlisted phone number. If your number is not available in the phone book, you’re less likely to receive telemarketing and other calls from people you don’t know. In much the same way, if an intruder can’t see your computer or network, he is less likely to target you for an attack. There are basically two types of firewalls: hardware and software. Hardware firewalls are built into many routers and are generally more secure than their software counterparts. If you only have one computer to connect to the Internet, cost may deter you from purchasing additional equipment that contains a hardware firewall. In this case, a software firewall, such as the one included with Windows XP, will help to protect you. Generally speaking, software firewalls may not be as secure as hardware firewalls because they are more susceptible to “exploits” based on errors in other programs or in the OS (operating system) itself. Every firewall will require some setup before initial use. Check with the vendor of your firewall if you require instructions specific to your firewall, or read “Protect Your Network” on page 109. For the best security, install a hardware and a software firewall. Antivirus and antispyware protection. Although antivirus and antispyware programs protect against different threats, the steps required to install and maintain them are similar. Antivirus software protects your computer from viruses that seek to destroy data or halt the operation of your computer. Antispyware software guards against spyware that could track your user behavior and send information about that behavior to outside sources without your knowledge. Many antivirus and antispyware programs detect and block viruses and spyware by comparing known threat profiles to activity on your computer. These programs use definition files to identify known threats. Therefore, in order for your antivirus and antispyware applications to be effective, you must update the definition files on a regular basis. Many antivirus programs, including Norton Internet Security from Symantec, offer an automatic update feature for broadband users. Most antivirus and some antispyware programs require a subscription for updates, and many of these subscriptions expire one year after you install the program. After the subscription expires, renew it or purchase and install new security software to ensure that your computer stays protected against new and emerging threats. Wireless encryption. Due to their nature, wireless networks are more likely than wired networks to be compromised. Thus, wireless networks need an extra layer of security and privacy. You can achieve this added protection by using encryption. Two types of encryption are prevalent today: WEP (Wireless Encryption Protocol) and WPA (Wireless Protected Access). WEP is an older standard and tends to be more widely supported, especially by older equipment. Newer equipment generally offers both WEP and WPA encryption. Note that WPA provides stronger encryption than WEP. Encryption is crucial to keeping your information safe. As Kendall Johnson, network administrator for Southeast Community College in Lincoln, Neb., notes, “Anyone within range of your unencrypted wireless network can use packet-sniffing software to intercept and view all information you transfer over your network, including your emails, Web sites visited, passwords, and credit card numbers.” Some routers, such as this Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router ($69.99; www.linksys.com), include a built-in firewall. General Precautions In addition to implementing a few basic hardware and software protection mechanisms to help you avoid online attacks against your computer and network, you can also prevent your information from becoming available to would-be intruders by following a few general, sensible computing guidelines. Use strong passwords. One of easiest ways to create a barrier between you and the outside world is to protect your computer by requiring all users to enter passwords before they can access information on the computer. For the best security, use a strong password and change it on a regular basis. A strong password contains both upper- and lowercase letters and at least one special character, such as a number. Although it can make remembering your password more difficult, avoid using full words in your password. To create a secure password, think of ways you can combine dates, phone numbers, birthdates, places, or events into a phrase that you will remember but that would be hard for others to guess. Limit yourself. Another way to protect your computer from outside attack is simply to prevent access to critical files. Limited user accounts can protect your computer by blocking you or someone else from installing malicious programs; they can also prevent would-be attackers from installing programs using your user account. Limited user accounts do not have full rights to install programs, modify certain files, or even access some files and the Registry. As a result, users and intruders using these accounts are less likely to cause harm to your computer and network than are users with administrative rights. In addition to protecting your OS, you can also protect your documents by creating an encrypted folder on your hard drive in which you can store important files that you don’t want other users to access. Only the creator of an encrypted folder can access its contents; even the administrator of a computer cannot access these files. To encrypt a folder, navigate to it using Windows Explorer. Next, right-click the folder and select Properties. On the General tab, click the Advanced button. An Advanced Attributes dialog box will appear. Check the box next to Encrypt Contents To Secure Data to encrypt the folder and its contents. Keep current. Many Internet attacks that compromise the security of your network occur because an attacker knows how to exploit the vulnerabilities in an OS or in a program installed on your machine. Software manufacturers typically issue updates to repair these vulnerabilities once discovered. Windows’ Automatic Windows Updates function helps ensure that your computer has the latest patches to fix security vulnerabilities. To reduce the possibility of holes in your computer’s software security, be sure you update your computer regularly. Microsoft Windows Update ( update.microsoft.com) is a good source for updates. Also, check for updates from other manufacturers of software you have installed on your machine. Broadband users who are likely to forget to check for updates on a regular basis should consider setting up Automatic Updates in WinXP. With Automatic Updates, your computer will keep itself current with the latest patches. To enable Automatic Updates, click Start, Control Panel, Security Center, and Automatic Updates. When the Automatic Updates dialog box opens, select the radio button for Automatic and then choose the time frame and other options that will work for you. Finally, click Apply and OK to save the changes. Back up. No matter how safe you are on the Internet and how much you try to protect your network, it’s always a good idea to have a backup of your important data. Obviously, you hope you’ll never need to use it, but you’ll be sorry if you didn’t create a backup and then turn out to need one. When creating a backup, be sure to include your email, address book, documents, pictures, and any other important files. Keep in mind that backing up your data (documents, photos, spreadsheet files, etc.) is actually more important than backing up applications, since you can usually reinstall the applications from the original CDs. Block pop-ups. Pop-up windows and ads are not only annoying, they also pose a threat to your network. When a pop-up window appears while you’re surfing the Web, it’s easy to accidentally click one of the links. In doing so, however, you may open your computer up to an attack. Some pop-ups point to Web pages that can infect your computer with spyware and other malicious code. Unfortunately, all it takes in some cases is for you to visit the site. This malicious code can enter your system without your knowledge, even if you quickly close the Web page. There are many free pop-up blockers to choose from. The Google and Yahoo! toolbars both include pop-up blockers. Some Internet browsers also include built-in pop-up blockers. Most of these pop-up blockers will let you disable the block for individual sites, in case you need to visit a legitimate site that requires a pop-up. Use Your Judgment In addition to setting up a variety of security measures on your network, you can also protect your information using a bit of common sense. Keep quiet. Never give out private information such as your credit card number or Social Security number over email or via IM (instant message). Email and IM messages are not secure on any type of connection, so don’t trust them to keep your information safe. Under lock and key. When you visit a Web site and enter private information, make sure that you are communicating with that business using a secured connection. You’ll know if the Web site you are visiting is secure by looking for “https” in the Address Bar and by noting the little yellow padlock in the lower-right corner of your Web browser. If the padlock is unlocked or missing, don’t transmit your information. Even if you’ve used the site before, it’s always a good idea to make sure your current connection is secure. Server or browser problems can result in an unsecured connection, even if you had a secure connection in previous transactions. Check for security each time you enter information you’re not willing to share. Be stingy. Just because you like your neighbors doesn’t mean that you need to share everything with them. This is especially true when it comes to a wireless network connection. Keep in mind that anyone on your wireless connection has access to your network. If you aren’t willing to share all of the information on your computer with your neighbors, don’t share your wireless Internet connections with them. Lock It Down Whether we like it or not, we live in a dishonest world, beset by crime and fraud. The Web is part of that world. As a result, you must protect yourself from attacks. Networks without security precautions in place are asking for trouble. High-speed Internet connections make it easier than ever for a cracker to exploit your computer and use information from it for malicious purposes. To protect yourself, put security measures in place on your network.