Computer Security
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If you are not sure how to operate your computer and make these changes we suggest you learn how using the Video Professor. Remember that you are risking thousands of dollars online and cannot be ignorant about how your tools work.
I get lots of questions about how to keep you computer secure from web bugs, trojans, spam, viruses, ad trackers, key loggers, and all kinds of mal ware. This page should give you a heads up on a nearly bullet proof approach. I will update this page as things change, which knowing the "Bad Guys" will happen regularly.
First let me say that the "Bad Guys" are no longer just kids in having fun. There are serious people out there attacking the Internet every single day. The Department of Defense gets over 100,000 major attacks every year. Our enemies no longer need missiles to create havoc, they can use the Internet because virtually everything is interconnected these days.
How do they attack the Internet? They are using your computer, probably right now and you don't even know it. What most people don't know is that Windows in its present form has over 10,000 ports that can be attacked and most of them are wide open. Even Service Pack 2 for Windows XP is full of Swiss Cheese holes. And Vista is even worse!
The "Bad Guys" are also spammers who write viruses in order to take over your computer and serve their spam from your machines. The spammers know who you are and write viruses to even destroy the other guys virus and put theirs in its place. A spammer that sends out 30 million emails may get only 1 in 3000 responses, but that means he got 10,000 orders or valid buying emails.
This web page, if you follow these suggestions, should make your system much more secure. In case you didn't know your system has a unique ID available for everyone to see. So the first thing we need to do is get your system to be anonymous. We do this with an approach called "Defense in Depth". So let's get started.
We recommend that you use Windows XP as an operating system and not Vista. Vista is about to be replaced because of its problems. Those Mac commercials on TV are telling you the truth. So if you buy a new computer, get Windows XP Pro and wait for the newer operating system. Personally, I wait until they release Service Pack 1 until I upgrade.
Your Current Security Status
Go to www.grc.com and run the Shields Up program. Steve Gibson is a nationally recognized computer security guru and all of his suggestions should be taken. Go to the Shields Up Section. Make sure you check for port security and, networking and file sharing vulnerabilities. Even if you get a "Stealth" rating from him, you should complete the following check list and then re-visit this site for another check to make sure you didn't expose yourself to the world again.
Create a Restore Point
Before you make any changes to your computer, you want to create a RESTORE POINT. You do this by pressing Start > Help and Support > under Pick a Task Select Undo Changes > finally select Create a Restore Point. This process saves all the settings on your computer for this day. If later you have to back out of the changes you made. Window was nice enough to provide this option, but they hide it. To restore changes, you can go through the same process until you get to the Restore selection.
Windows Updates
Make sure that your system is setup to automatically update Windows whenever there is critical update. Viruses and worms used to take weeks to propagate on the Internet. The last major outbreak went around the Internet in less than 10 minutes and infected over 20,000 computers.
Get a Router
A Linksys Router is your first measure of defense. They are easy to install and allow both wireless and hardwired connections. They place a separate IP between your computer and the Internet. With any high speed connection such as DSL or Cable, not having a router is like leaving your doors unlocked all the time. Costs average $50-$70.
Firewalls
A firewall behind the router is your second level of defense. Windows Service Pack 2 has the Windows Firewall turned on. Not the greatest, but better than nothing. I highly recommend you use Trend Micro's Security System. It is the best and quickest program to send automatic updates in the background and stops everything in its tracks.
Two other firewalls that are well known, but slow down you are Norton Firewall and McAfee. While these programs are sometimes installed with a new system, I have removed them because the tend to slow down you computer. You cannot even remove Norton or McAfee without a special program from Norton!. I have also used AVG which is highly rated. I personally prefer Trend Micro's Security which gives me a many as five automatic updates a day. My system seems to run much smoother now that I have eliminated all Norton and McAfee products. My backup computers and laptop run on AVG.
Email Screener
Many problems occur beyond viruses because of email that downloads onto your system. In many cases you do not even have to open the email for it to infect your system. Spammers and other Bad Guys are now sending infections attached to graphic files, attachments, MS Word and MS Excel documents as well as items inside web site links.
The best policy is to never let the email get downloaded to your system unless you know who it is from and you are expecting it. Remember that "Joke of the Day", Video of the Day, etc. usually carries a toxic message. Do not forward and ask your friends to stops sending the to you.
How can you protect yourself. We recommend using Mail Washer Pro. It only reads the headers of email on your ISP's server. It then screens and identifies spam, viruses and other nasty programs and marks them for deletion. Note, never try to unsubscribe from this junk or bounce it, it only verifies your email gets you ten times as much spam.
The other way to protect yourself if you have Outlook or Outlook Express is to NOT have the preview window open and only accept email in text format. If you get html email the you can later adjust the email to show in html after you are sure it is from a trusted site and safe to open.. This prevents a malicious email from opening into your system.
Anti Virus Software
There are over 100 new viruses created every month. Read this Virus Primer from Trend Micro for a quick overview. Also many viruses and worms have an ability to turn off your anti-virus software so while you think you are protected, you really aren't. One thing to do if you suspect that your system anti-virus has been turned off is to use Trend Micro's House Call to check your system remotely.
I prefer Trend because they seem to be on top of things faster. It is important that you set them to automatically update themselves. You also want them set to automatically scan your complete system at least weekly.
If you are using Norton or McAfee you will find that both slow down your system significantly. My recommendation is to remove them and use Trend or Zone Alarm. One little know trick is that you cannot simply uninstall these programs. You must go to either website and get a specific Uninstall Program for Norton or McAfee (now that sucks IMHO).
How to Handle Spy ware
In today's competitive market place, everyone wants to know where their web site traffic is coming from, where they go on the site, and where they go after they leave a site. To do this a "cookie" is planted on your computer on nearly every web page you visit. There are valid reasons for cookies and there also some negative reasons.
Some of these tracking programs log every key stroke (key loggers) trying to get you to reveal your passwords, others change your browser's home page to their home page. It is one big "Spy versus Spy" type of environment. You may often get emails warning you about spy ware. These emails often plant spy ware. of their own, so we recommend never opening these emails. Did you know that in my Spybot program it identifies 36,613 pieces of spy ware. active on the internet today.
You will know you have a problem, when strange ads open up in your web browser or the home page changes or things slow down. Porn sites are absolutely the worst. No matter how tempting, "Just Say NO!"
The only way to remove the bad from the good is to use programs such as Ad Aware and CCleaner (it used to be called Crap Cleaner) These programs are free and have been rated better than most paid programs. We use them on a daily basis to keep our systems clean. Trend Micro also serves this purpose.
Registry Clean Up
Window uses a large data base called the registry that keeps track not only of every program you install, uninstall and every web site you visit. When you uninstall a program, often a lot of old junk is left behind. The not only causes your computer to slow down, it fills up your hard drive with unnecessary files that are no longer used or useful.
To solve this program, you need to keep your registry healthy. We recommend you download and use Registry Mechanic by PC Tools. It is quick, automatic and very effective. You will be amazed at what this little program finds and fixes.
Another excellent program that is highly recommend is CCleaner this is an advanced program, so be sure you understand what you are doing when you first use this program.
System Maintenance and Cleanup
There are some simple housekeeping things you can do to keep your system running smoothly and efficiently.
- At least weekly, empty your Recycle Bin, then do a Disk Clean Up on each partition and disk drive in your system. You can use CCleaner to actually do a more thorough job
- At least weekly Defragment each disk on your system
- Archive and eliminate all emails older than three months. Keeping this file small will assure you of faster email. If your email files or address file gets corrupted or damaged, there is a file called "scanpst.exe" that can repair your email database.
- Backup your data onto a DVD or CD Rom on a weekly or daily basis depending on your situation and place these disk off site and away from you computer in case of fire or other disaster.
- The optimum way to set up your hard disk system and operating system is separate critical elements by using the following method:
- Place only Windows and the above listed programs on the C Drive.
- Place all your other programs on the D Drive or partition
- If you must download FreeWare (not recommended) or you want to test some new software, put it on a second hard drive or a third partition.
- When in doubt run through all these procedures including going back to the beginning by checking things out with Shields Up.
We hope these suggestions help clarify some security issues for you. No system is perfect but this approach will give you a fighting chance against the "Bad Guys".
This information is provided as a service of Venture Planning Associates, Inc. and Futures Trading Secrets. We have not financial interest in any of the web sites mentioned. If you want additional information or articles go to www.antivirus-info-online.com or http://www.spyware-facts.com/ for free resources.
Good Luck and Safe Computing
William F. (Bill) McCready, CEO
Phone: Toll Free in U.S. or Canada 888.404.1212 or 775-747-8829
eMail: info@futurestradingsuccess.com
