Best Practices for Protecting Your PC ^top
ESL Federal Credit Union takes protecting its computing environment very seriously. Many layers of security are in place to protect our data and member information and we are constantly working to maintaining and improving those measures.
We also recognize that a majority of our members have computers at home, yet may not know how to protect their PCs from the deluge of viruses, worms, spam and SpyWare that permeates the internet. This guide is meant to help our members understand how to best thwart these threats before they become a bigger problem by infecting your PC or intruding on your privacy. These guidelines are not all-inclusive but rather touch upon the most common measures to protect your PC.
#1 Rule: Take the time to read this document carefully and take it for its intended purpose - as suggestions for maintaining a secure, virus-free PC.
#2 Rule: Read more authoritative articles on best practices contained within many of the links listed below.
#3 Rule: Be diligent and pro-active. Don't wait until a virus hits your PC before taking action. Think of following these guidelines as getting a flu shot for your PC.
- Don't open email or attachments from people you don't know or are not expecting email from - especially if the email contains an attachment. If you are not sure of the sender delete the message.
- Enable real-time email scanning by your virus checker (below).
- Do NOT unsubscribe to spam email. While this seems like a way to stop a spammer from sending more mail to you, it only serves to validate that the spammer has a legitimate email address for you. This is not to say that 'unsubscribe' links on legitimate vendor emails (Sears, FTD, various newsletters, etc.) are not valid ways to stop their emails, as they do respect your privacy.
- If your email system (Hotmail, AOL, Yahoo, etc.) offers anti-spam and anti-virus services, use them.
Anti-Virus
- Install antivirus software.
- Keep your antivirus software up to date. Daily is best, but at least once a week. Most AV software has the option to update automatically.
- Enable real-time scanning of your system files and email (usually a default option on most anti-virus packages).
- Scan your system regularly, even if real-time scanning is enabled. Do a deep scan of your PCs hard drive at least once per month.
Internet Security
- Add a personal firewall, either software or hardware. Many 'internet security suites' listed below has firewall capability.
- Keep Microsoft Windows up-to-date with current patches. In Windows XP if you right-click on the My Computer icon and click on Properties, you'll see a tab for 'Automatic Updates' as represented in the following screenshot:
- Download an acceptable anti-spyware program like Ad-Aware (listed below) or purchase a full-fledged application. Many PC problems, particularly relating to internet browsing, can be resolved by cleaning your PC of spyware.
No matter which method in the 'Settings' section you choose, the most important setting is to make sure the first box (Keep my computer up to date) is checked. If you choose the 3rd option (to automatically download/install) you can just set it and forget about it - your system will be kept up-to-date as long as your PC is connected to the internet at the time you choose. Choosing one of the first two options requires you to consent to either download and/or install the updates when you are notified.
Links
Microsoft Sites (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING)
- Security Basics for Home Users
- 3 Steps to Protect Your PC
- How to protect your computer against spyware/adware