I
have had many people coming in to the Internet Centre recently who have
encountered computer problems as they have no internet security. They may have
had it at one stage, but it has expired, or they may have never had sufficient
internet security and had been relying on the limited free options which are
available. Although the free options are better than nothing, they do not offer
as complete protection as a paid version of internet security.
If
you are connected to the internet it is important to have some kind of
Antivirus or Internet Security. Having reputable up-to-date Internet Security
software will ensure that your personal data is safe and your computer continues
to run smoothly. Most new computers will come with a preinstalled trial version
of an Internet Security program, which may last 30 days, sometimes longer.
After the trial version expires you are required to pay a yearly subscription,
ranging from $50-$100 in price. When a subscription is close to expiring the
program will display a message, usually when you first turn on your computer,
warning that your software will expire in days.
Internet
Security software will update daily and requires a connection to the internet
to do so. This will usually be done automatically and may require you to
restart the computer for this to be completed. It is a good practice to allow
the computer to reboot as soon as possible if one is required. Other software
updates can also help keep your computer secure. You will often find that update requests will
appear when your first turn your computer on. Examples can be Adobe Flash or
Reader and Java. Installing these updates will often fix security vulnerabilities
in the program that can allow hackers to compromise your computer.
Windows
Updates are very important as they fix security vulnerabilities in the Windows
operating system or other Microsoft products such as Office. Sometimes older
machines can be slowed down by the newer updates, but it is important to
install these when instructed.
Internet
Security software will run a scan daily or weekly depending on the program.
These scans will detect and remove any viruses that may have found their way
into your system and prevent them from doing any damage. Real-time scanning by
the Internet Security software ensures that files you load onto your computer,
or websites you are visiting don’t contain viruses. When a virus is detected it
will be removed or placed into a secure quarantine so you can continue using
your computer.
It
is important to know what Internet Security software is loaded onto your
machine. If you know what program you are using you will be less likely to fall
for a rogue Internet Security scam. Often these fake programs are installed by
an inexperienced user clicking a link that has appeared on their screen saying
there computer is infected. By knowing what Internet Security software you are
using you can avoid this kind of scam. If you notice any programs, other than
the ones you have deliberately installed, saying your computer is infected, close
all windows and complete a full system scan as soon as possible.
It
is also wise to regularly check whether your Internet Security software
subscription is still valid. If you cannot remember the last time you purchased
a subscription, or cannot remember what the name of your Internet Security
software is, it is probably time to purchase a new subscription. It is also
wise to remove any expired Internet Security software to ensure that the new software
can run smoothly.
Free
protection is available and there are many companies to choose from such as AVG
Free, Avast! Free and Microsoft Security Essentials. Free protection offers
minimal protection and lacks the features of a full Internet Security.
AVG
Free offers basic easy to use protection against viruses and helps prevent
viruses before they get into your computer, however there are more than just
viruses that put your computer at risk.
Full AVG Internet Security cost $70 per year and offers the Anti-virus
protection as well as a range of more advanced features such as an Anti-malware
and Anti-rootkit which will stop other unwanted nasties from getting on to your
computer. In addition it offer a link scanner, which can help prevent you
opening an unsecure link in an email or on a webpage and a spam filter, which
prevents spam from getting to your email and in turn protects you from
scammers. Also AVG Internet Security offers a firewall, which helps prevent
hackers from being able to access your computer, and stops rogue programs from
being able to access the internet if they have been installed.
Some
risks on the internet will take common sense to avoid even if you have full
internet security. Often on website you
may see a link telling you that you have won a new iPad or a Samsung phone.
These are just a method spammers and con-artists use to collect your details which
they then sell. You cannot win a
competition or lottery that you haven’t entered despite what websites tell you.
If it sounds too good to be true, then it is too good to be true. A common scam
doing the rounds at the moment encourages
people to transfer a small amount of money overseas on the promise of
millions of dollars being sent to you from your long lost uncle’s estate. This
is a scam and you are guaranteed to never receive any benefit, and you have
lost the money you transferred to the overseas account. Scammers prey on
desperate people who are hoping for some good luck, yet their only intention is
to collect the money people transfer into their accounts, they never intend on returning
any money to you. With trusted Internet Security software and some common sense
you can be safe when using and browsing the internet.
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