How to Better Secure Your Home PC

Keeping your home computer secured is important for you and your family.   A number of simple steps can be taken to improve the security of your home-based PC.

(NOTE:  If you access Syracuse University data from home, you need to adhere to Syracuse University’s Secure Remote Access policy.  More information on this policy can be found at: http://cms.syr.edu/security/policies/004001_secure_remote_access.cfm)  

Start by making sure you have anti-virus software that is kept up-to-date.  Most anti-virus software will let you schedule updates on a regular basis – such as when you start up your PC or at specified time intervals.  Be sure to turn these automatic updates on.  New viruses are appearing on a continual basis, and these updates will contain protection against the latest virus/worm threats.

Next, make sure you keep your operating system and other software patched.  Windows, Unix, and Linux have hundreds of security vulnerabilities that are discovered each year.  Some of these vulnerabilities are more easily exploitable than others.    Not only can security vulnerabilities be used by hackers to compromise PCs on an individual basis, some worms, such as the blaster worm, have used security vulnerabilities in Windows to infect large number of PCs in a very short period of time.

If your PC is connected to the Internet, use a personal firewall to protect your PC.   Hackers use programs that constantly scan PCs on the internet for weaknesses that they can exploit.  A personal firewall closes down unneeded communication channels so hackers have fewer avenues to get into your PC.

Run anti-spyware programs to detect and remove spyware from your PC.  Spyware can monitor you web browsing habits.  It can also slow down the PC’s performance and cause annoying pop-up windows.  Some spyware can even log all the keystrokes entered at the keyboard of a PC  -- these logs are then analyzed to determine account usernames and passwords.

Other steps that you can take to reduce the vulnerability of your PC include:

• turn the PC off, or disconnect it from the internet, when it is not in use 
• Be careful about opening attachments
• Only download programs and files from trusted sites and sources.  Don’t install programs from unfamiliar sources.
• Don’t store credit card numbers, social security numbers, or tax information on your PC unless you use a file encryption program to encrypt it.  When possible, keep this information stored on removable media such as CD-ROMs, zip disks, or external USB drives that you don’t leave in the PC.  That way, if your PC is hacked, this information is not available to the intruder.
• Back up any important data to media that is kept in another location.  If your PC is infected and files destroyed (the MyDoom.f virus deleted Word and Excel files), or even if you have a hard disk failure, you’ll have another copy to use.

Here are some web sites that provide more information on security for the home PC::

http://www.staysafeonline.info/home-tips.html

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/infosecurity/coninfo.html

http://www.nai.com/us/security/resources/av_tips.htm

http://www.microsoft.com/security/home/