Cyber Security - 4 Things to Do to Improve Computer Cyber Security and Prevent Cyber Crime Attacks

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In this article, you will learn to avoid all the silly mistakes most computer owners make and expose their computers and personal information open to cyber attacks. You'll also discover why is it important to change your passwords frequently and have up-to-date firewall and antivirus program.
Emails- the best and most simple rule to protect your computer from email cyber attacks is: if you don't know the sender, be very careful and never open any file attached to it. Sometimes even your friends may send you phishing emails against unwittingly because their computer has been attacked and the email is forwarded to you without their approval.
Very simple but effective protection is "When in Doubt- Delete". Your friend will understand.
Common signs include phishing hyperlinks and messages that urge you to open the attached file.
Passwords- passwords are just like door key and they are used to protect our virtual belongings stored on our computer. They should be very difficult to duplicate or steal by cyber criminals, just like door key that we always store in secure location.
Very important and effective rule to keep our passwords safe is: Never share your password with anyone, use different passwords for different for different places and constantly change your passwords.
Here are some proven effective rules to make passwords:
1. Passwords should not make much logical sense and have minimum of 8 characters- this will make it hard to guess.
2. Use types of characters allowed- lower case, upper case, numbers, symbols, special, etc.
3. Change your passwords frequently, the more frequent the better.
4. Under no circumstance give out your password to anybody.
In addition to the above cyber attack prevention tasks, for full computer protection it is very important to have good Firewall and maintain up-to-date antivirus program.
Firewalls- they protect your computer form the outside cyber world by filtering potentially dangerous data to enter your computer. They stop unauthorised data, usually form internet or emails, while data from trusted sources is allowed in.
Up-to-date antivirus software- good antivirus software is "must have" for all computers. Antivirus software is like immunization to humans, it prevents malicious software of entering and potentially damaging your computer.
These programs have been created and designed to protect your computer against known viruses. Therefore, it is critical to keep your antivirus program up-to-date to protect your computer form newly created cyber attacks.

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Computer Security is in Your Hands

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Computers began making their way into North American homes in the late 1970s to early 1980s. I still remember the first computer I ever saw. It was a Commodore 64.
I can recall the day in 1982, I believe it was, when my friend Bob walked through the door with his brand new Commodore 64 tucked under his arm. He was proud as a peacock. His wife wasn't. We played with that gizmo for hours and still hadn't scratched the surface of what it could do.
Those were the days when computers were toys. Very few homes had them and no one had to worry about hackers, viruses, malware, cookies and the like as we do today. Heck, we hadn't even heard of such terms.
In such a short time, computers have evolved from mere toys and sources of entertainment into everyday necessities for most people. In less than 25 years, computers have become such an integral part of today's business world and private life that we would be hard pressed to survive without them.
Of course, anything so vital will always be the target of unscrupulous cyber vandals. Online crimes have become a major concern for law enforcement and the general public needs to give high priority to keeping criminals at bay. Hence the need for various types of computer security that helps keep our computers safe from harm.
Every computer owner must adapt some program of cyber security or they won't be online very long at all. And the threat is not limited to viruses and trojans that infect your system. Online criminals also want access to your computer. They want any piece of information that can help them steal your identity. They look for anything that can provide valuable financial information.
You as a computer owner do not have to sit by and see these kinds of criminal activities spoil your computing experiences. There are many things you can do yourself that will add security to your computer. Let's summarize just a few of them...
1) Install Good Anti-virus Software.
This is a must today. You should never access the internet or your email without active, up-to-date anti-virus program. Keep in mind, however, that new viruses are surfacing daily and it is a huge task for anti-virus programs to keep up with it all. It is vital that you keep your anti-virus software updated regularly in order for it to recognize any new man-made virus that may have been introduced.
Anti-virus programs are relatively inexpensive when you consider the alternative cost of having to clean up an unnecessary mess or replace a hard drive. There are even free anti-virus programs you can download. Some are just as good as some paid computer security products.
2) Have Proper Firewalls Installed.
To understand firewalls, think of your home, especially if it is fairly new or newly renovated. Building codes today call for installation of special drywall called a firewall. These firewalls are installed in case of fire and this type of wall board keeps the fire from spreading from one room to another, at least until help arrives.
Firewalls in your computer are much the same. They are defensive fortifications built into your system to help halt the spread of any virus or trojan that may have been introduced into your system. These firewalls filter unauthorized data from elsewhere, mostly the internet, while allowing authorized or 'good' data to enter your computer.
3) Be Careful With Emails
Many viruses enter your computer via your email. Make sure you establish some hard, fast rules about incoming email. For instance, be extra careful about opening emails from anyone you do not know, and never under any circumstances open any attachments to those emails. Often an email gives the recipient a message of urgency for opening the attachment. Be wary.
4) Be Creative With Passwords
The passwords you choose, whether for your email, membership sites, web host Cpanel, etc., need to be more than simple. Never use any personal information like telephone number, street address, banking PIN, etc. The reasons are quite obvious.
Hackers are quite good at breaking passwords so you need to be creative and adhere to a few rules when creating them. Think of them as keys that unlock a cabinet. Almost any key can be duplicated and used for criminal purposes. This is what hackers do. But there are steps you can take to minimize that threat.
a) Never share your password with anyone.
b) Make all your passwords at least 8 characters in length.
c) Make your passwords meaningless. The crazier, the better.
d) Use a variety of letters (upper and lower case), numbers, symbols, special characters, etc. in each password.
e) Keep a list of every site on which you have a password and record the password for that site.
f) Change your password regularly. It is ideal if you make the password changes all at the same time. For example: Change passwords every 3 months, on the 1st day of the third month. Change every password at that time. This way, none are missed. Keep a record of every date you changed your passwords. This keeps you from going too long without a change.
5) Backup Your Computer Data Regularly
This is one cardinal rule all experienced computer users adhere to. All backups must be done to a CD or DVD, or some other external device. The idea here is that if something happens to your system or you lose your hard drive, you still have all your data elsewhere that can be reloaded into your computer.
6) Never allow file sharing from your computer.
This is one of the most dangerous practices you can allow. Keep all other parties out of your computer.
7) Disconnect From The Internet
By disconnecting from the internet when your computer is not in use, you make it impossible for others to gain access to your system.
8) Keep Abreast Of Security Updates
This is easy to do these days. You can do this by going to the site hosted by your security provider. They have tons of computer security news regarding current security issues. Many even have computer security courses you can take. This way you are well informed of the newest tactics of online criminals and are provided with ways and means of lessening the threat to your system.
Computer security is really up to you. Many take this issue far too lightly until the day all "H...." breaks loose. Then you are rushing around in confusion looking for someone to fix it all. The fact is, most often no one needs to be in that kind of situation. With a good security system in placed and some personal diligence, you can avoid 99.9 per cent of these kinds of problems.

For more information on computer security, visit the following site http://www.affiliatepowerpunch.com. Click "Secure Your Computer" for access. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Kindred

Computer Security Systems

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In the present technology-oriented era, most important information is stored on computers. In order to locate and use this critical information, intruders come up with innovative and destructive ways to steal this data. People will endlessly try to break into your computer to find information like your credit card numbers and use it for their benefit.
Computer security is that important and helpful field which designs and implements protection for your computer. A relatively new yet complex field, it doesn’t have much publicized literature, due to the nature of its content. Every year companies invest millions on research and development in this area, making it a lucrative and challenging career.
In the US, users are listening to their software experts and taking their advice to select and use difficult passwords which are not easily deciphered by intruders. People are wary of opening unsolicited emails, and readily upload anti-virus programs to guard their machines.
The firewall program by Microsoft protects your PC from intruders who try to make your machine crash, or steal the required information. Antispyware software from the same company helps protect your computer from known programs which can easily track your browsing patterns.
The hackers may change the settings of your computer without your knowledge. By installing antispyware protection you can have a central location for viewing your computer’s security status and changing the security settings. The program also protects you from harmful viruses. It is important for users to avail the available security systems to protect their computer systems from hackers. A careful approach in using the systems will go a long way in saving your precious data from hackers, and will improve the quality of your PC.

Computer Security provides detailed information on Computer Security, Computer Security Systems, Computer Network Securities, Computer Security Software and more. Computer Security is affiliated with Information Security Systems.

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Computer Security Certificate is For Everyone

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Our computers are vulnerable from attacks that come at all sides. It comes from different sources too. That is why a computer security certificate is very useful. Every business have some kind of broadband Internet Access these days. So your connection is always on and your personal information and your business information are exposed to the internet.
Aside from the Computer Security Certificate, you also need an anti-virus protection. Do you know that there are thousands of viruses that are made everyday. It basically means that no computer is safe especially without the anti-virus protection and most especially if you do not know what you need if did not learn what you need to protect yourself. Your computer's network is always under attack from hackers. With the Computer Security Certificate, you can protect your users and your company from any unauthorized web access that will not only damage your data but also your productivity and your employees' productivity as well.
So remember the Computer Security Certificate provides you security. It is as simple as that. There are online training courses offered that you can avail because the first step in protecting yourself is by equipping yourself with the necessary knowledge and being able to get a certificate that will prove that you can do that. Even if you are not a computer expert, the training is for everyone. So you can be a programmer, a network engineer, a site administrator, an analyst, mom and you can benefit from the right certification.

Cheryl Forbes owns and operates the website http://www.computersecuritycertificate.com.

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