How to maintain your computer

Prevention One of the best ways to maintain your computer is to prevent problems from occurring. Best prevention strategies Install anti-virus software Install anti-spyware software Install a firewall Keep your operating system updated Keep your applications updated Remove unwanted or unused software Education (knowledge updation)

Prevention: 1. Anti-virus software What is anti-virus software? Definition: "anti-virus" is protective software designed to defend your computer against malicious software. Malicious software, or "malware" includes: viruses, Trojans, key loggers, hijackers, dialers, root kits, and other code that vandalizes or steals your computer contents. How does it work? Most anti-virus software companies uses signatures to match specific patterns of data within files on your computer. Heuristics method (guessing) Sandbox method (program execution with the resource)

Prevention: 1. Anti-virus software Popular anti-virus software Symantec (Norton) McAfee AVG (Free) Avast (Free) Kaspersky Trend Micro (PC Cillin) You can download these free software packages from www.download.com

Prevention: 1. Anti-virus software I don’t have anti-virus software. Get it as soon as possible. recommendations… Free version: Avast (don’t forget to register) Paid version: Trend Micro I have anti-virus installed on my computer. Now what? Keep your anti-virus software updated Signature updates Program updates Setup a weekly full system scan(important) If a virus has been detected, deal with it immediately. Update the software, then perform another full system scan.

Prevention: 2. Anti-spyware software What is anti-spyware software? Spyware is the name given to a variety of harmful programs that secretly install themselves on a computer without the user's consent. Once installed, this spyware software gathers information about the user, everything from personal data to Internet browsing habits. How does it work? Anti-spyware software works very similar to how anti-virus software works. Anti-spyware software looks for patterns through out your computer and matches those patterns to a database of known threats. If a threat is found, the software notifies the user to take action. NOTE: Anti-spyware software is not a replacement for anti-virus software. They are to be used in conjunction with each other.

Prevention: 2. Anti-spyware software Popular anti-spyware software Symantec (Norton) McAfee Ad-Aware (Free) Spybot – Search and Destroy (Free) SuperAntiSpyware (Free) Spyware Doctor Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (Most popular free version) Windows Defender (Free) You can download these free software packages from www.download.com

Prevention: 2. Anti-spyware software I don’t have anti-spyware software. What do I do? Get it. recommendations… Free version: Malwarebytes Anti -Malware Paid version: Malwarebytes Anti -Malware I have anti-spyware software installed on my computer. Now what? Keep your anti-spyware software updated Signature (database) updates Program updates Setup a weekly full system scan If a threat has been detected, deal with it immediately. Update the software, then perform another full system scan.

Prevention: 2. Anti-spyware software Other Most free anti-spyware programs require user interaction to keep it updated. Most free anti-spyware programs do not have a real-time scanning engine however. Do not use the same software vendor for both anti-virus and anti-spyware. Use different software vendors to provide a type of layered protection.

Prevention: 3. Firewall What is a firewall? How does it work? Definition: A "firewall" is an term to describe a specialized defense system for a computer network. The term comes from construction, where specialized fire-prevention systems involve fire-resistant walls being placed strategically in buildings and cars to slow the spread of a fire. In the case of computers, the term describes hardware or software that prevents unauthorized electronic access to a network computer systems. How does it work? A firewall works by detecting inbound and outbound network traffic and prevents or allows that traffic depending on user settings

Prevention: 3. Firewall Hardware Usually deliveries protection to the most vulnerable position in your network. Most new routers have firewalls built-in.

Prevention: 3. Firewall Software Needed if directly connected to the Internet. Needed on mobile devices. Recommended for best security practice.

Prevention: 3. Firewall Popular software firewalls Symantec (Norton Personal Firewall) McAfee Personal Firewall ZoneAlarm (Free)* Sygate (Free) AVG Anti-virus plus firewall Trend Micro Internet Security Built in Windows OS You can download these free software packages from www.download.com * Most popular free version

Prevention: 3. Firewall Link Is my Windows Firewall turned on (Windows 7)? Start  Control Panel  System & Security  Windows Firewall Link http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/security/winfirewall.mspx

Prevention: 3. Firewall Other Firewalls prevent networked devices from unauthorized threats, however, it also prevents legitimate devices from communicating as well. Sharing files Sharing printers Playing games

Prevention: 4. Operating system updates What is an operating system? In simple terms, an operating system is software that controls the allocation and usage of hardware resources such as memory, CPU time, disk space, and input and output devices. The operating system (OS) bridges the gap between the computer hardware and the user. Windows (7, Vista, XP) Mac OS Unix Linux Why do I want to update my operating system? Computer vulnerabilities are discovered daily and it is necessary for software companies to “patch” their software when these vulnerabilities are discovered. Failure to do so could result in problems down the road. Example: Infected icon vulnerability Bug fixes and improvements

Prevention: 4. Operating system updates How do I update my operating system? Most Windows users have automatic updates enabled. This means that when Microsoft releases new updates for your computer, your computer will automatically download and install them. Usually you will then be asked to reboot your computer. Manually install updates by going to the Windows Update website Window Updates often can update your hardware drivers

Prevention: 5. Application updates Why do I want to update my application? You need to update your applications for the same reasons why you update your operating system. Example: Infection Adobe PDF vulnerability Bug fixes and improvements At a minimum keep your Internet facing applications updated. Most times, these types of software will download updates automatically and ask you to install them. Adobe Flash Adobe PDF Java

Prevention: 6. Remove unwanted or unused software If you are not using or planning to use a piece of software on your computer, then remove it. Causes: Reduced performance Another possible security vulnerability Additional problems How do I remove programs (Windows)? Start  Control Panel  Programs  Program and features Select the program and Remove

Prevention: 7. Education (update yourself) Education yourself Be aware of P2P (peer-2-peer) file sharing applications. A lot of these services have files that are infected with malware. Few example Limewire, Frostwire, Bearshare, Kaaza Be mindful of pop-up messages that say your computer is infected with hundreds of viruses. Unless this message came from your security software, you are possibility staring at an infection.

Maintain Performance Maintain the performance of your computer by following these guide lines. Remove unwanted or unused software Delete Internet Cache Check Disk Disk Cleanup Use 3rd party software tools

Maintain Performance Remove unwanted or unused software For maximum performance, keep your computer running lean Example: Friend who evaluates software How do I remove programs (Windows XP)? Start  Control Panel  Add or Remove Programs Select the program and Remove

Maintain Performance How do I delete my Internet cache (Windows XP)? Delete Internet Cache If your Internet browsing experience does not perform like it used to, or if you are experiencing odd behavior from previously viewed websites, then it maybe time for you to delete your Internet cache. How do I delete my Internet cache (Windows XP)? Start  Control Panel  Network and Internet Connections  Internet Options From the General tab, click “Delete…”

Maintain Performance How do I delete my Internet cache (Windows XP)? Check Disk Sometimes problems with your hard drive can affect performance of your computer. When trying to maintain or restore the performance of your computer, it is good idea to run a check disk. Do not run a check disk daily Example: Replaced hard drive due to slow performance How do I delete my Internet cache (Windows XP)? Start  Control Panel  Network and Internet Connections  Internet Options From the General tab, click “Delete…”

Maintain Performance Disk Cleanup Start  Run  Type “cleanmgr” The Disk Cleanup tool helps you free up space on your hard disk by searching your disk for files that you can safely delete. You can choose to delete some or all of the files. Use Disk Cleanup to perform any of the following tasks to free up space on your hard disk: Remove temporary Internet files. Remove downloaded program files. For example, ActiveX controls and Java applets that are downloaded from the Internet. Empty the Recycle Bin. Remove Windows temporary files. Remove optional Windows components that you are not using. Remove installed programs that you no longer use. Start  Run  Type “cleanmgr”

Maintain Performance Use 3rd party software tools CCleaner (Free) Advanced SystemCare (Free)