HouseCall Computer Services
PC Security – FAQ’s
Q: How can I avoid becoming a victim of phishing scams?
A: Phishing is the email equivalent of telephone scams. You may occasionally get emails that look like they came from your bank or other account provider asking that you submit some personal or account information, perhaps warning you of some problem with your account. Generally, it is a good practice to be skeptical of any email, even if it looks official. Don't click on any link in these emails. Just delete them. If you want to check on the status of your bank (or other) account, contact the institution directly by phone or by going to their website and logging in to your account.
Q: How do I protect my identity and financial information when I buy stuff or do my banking on line?
A: Contrary to common perceptions, your credit card information is much more likely to get stolen locally and in person (like at a restaurant) than over the internet. The most important aspect of doing business safely on the internet is to know for sure who you are dealing with. Big-name businesses, like Amazon, have a huge vested interest in protecting your identity and financial information, or they would be out of business right away. If you have not heard of the company before, it is probably a good idea to not risk doing business with them. If you hear of a web-based business you want to learn more about, you can do Google searches using the name of the company or website and adding the word “reviews” or “complaints”. Then you need to make sure you are landing on the correct website by double-checking that the web address is spelled correctly, as malicious website writers will sometimes use common web addresses slightly misspelled. Finally, only use your credit card on line, as debit cards don't provide the same protections. See also the Internet Security article.
Q: What is meant by a strong password?
A: A strong password is one that is long (minimum 8 characters), cryptic (meaning it could not be easily guessed), and uses a mix of letters (upper and lower case), numbers, and special characters (*, %, #, etc.). Some people will also use different passwords for each login so that only one account is affected if that password gets compromised, but this tactic can become confusing and unwieldy with many accounts to manage.
Q: How do I protect myself using social networking sites like Facebook?
A: The first rule of thumb is to not “friend” anyone you don’t know and trust. Secondly, only include profile or status information and pictures that in no way could compromise your identity or personal information. Finally, review and adjust your privacy settings (under the Account menu) so that nobody but those you trust can see your posts, information and pictures.
Q: Which internet security software should I use?
A: There are several recommendable internet security software choices on the market. Which you should consider depends on several factors, including your system's performance specifications and your internet service provider. Older slower computers running on slower internet connections, for example, would struggle to run and update critical security components, which limits them to more basic protection. Some ISP's (Charter and AT&T for example) provide internet security suites for their customers at no extra charge. Comprehensive internet security suites are available from companies like Norton, Trend Micro, McAfee, Kaspersky, BitDefender, and others, but they do cost money to activate and use (usually based on a yearly subscription). There are some free antivirus programs (like AVG Free) that provide relatively decent protection considering they are free, but they are also usually limited to antivirus and don’t have other protection features like a firewall, etc.
Q: How do I avoid getting malware infections?
A: There has been a continuing rash of malware infections, which are a blended type of internet threat that seems to thwart even the best internet security. PC owners usually get this infection by clicking on a malicious web link in a web page, pop-up or email that downloads and installs the malware, which then replicates itself in various forms. Most commonly, the web pop-ups with these links warn of a problem with your PC and suggest that you “click here” to take care of the problem, but clicking where they suggest actually installs and launches the problem. The best way to avoid getting this type of malware infection is to not click on any web links in suspicious web pages, pop-ups, or emails, but just close the windows or delete the emails. If you get a stray web pop-up, whether warning you about some problem with you computer or just a simple solicitation, don’t click anywhere in the pop-up window. Instead, close the window by holding down the “Alt” key and hitting "F4", which will close whatever window is open in front of everything else. In addition, make sure your internet security program is active, up to date, and the newest version available, and that your web browser has a built-in and functioning pop-up blocker.
Q: What do I do if I suspect my computer is infected?
A: Infection eradication strategies can be complicated by the number and types of infected objects that have gotten into your computer. You can simply try opening and running a scan with your internet security software, but security software is usually better at protection than eradication. I will often scan with whatever currently seems to be the best spyware/malware eradication tool available, which lately has been Malwarebytes, but to do it right involves first cleaning the hard drive of other extraneous files (temp files, cookies, etc), shutting off the system restore, and restarting the computer in safe mode before starting the scan. In the worst cases, the operating system can get “corrupted”, which requires doing a complete system recovery (wiping the hard drive clean and reloading everything from scratch). See my Favorites page for a link to Malwarebytes.
Q: How do I make sure data from an old hard drive is completely erased?
A: When you want to retire an old CPU or hard drive, it is a good practice to make sure your data does not fall into the wrong hands. Unfortunately, deleting files from a hard drive does not remove all traces of the data. To make sure your old files are gone or secure, remove the old drive from the CPU and either hang on to it (the hard drive itself does not take up much space), hand it over to a local data destruction service (which will usually shred the drive), or just smash it with a big hammer.
Q: How do I make sure my home wireless network is secure?
A: Your wireless internet signal gets broadcast through the air in a limited area in and around your home. Without encrypting the signal, your wireless network can be accessed and used by anyone within range. To best protect your wireless signal, you need to turn on the encryption security features that are built in to your wireless router, which would force anyone wanting to use the wireless signal to enter a password or “key”. Newer wireless routers allow for several wireless encryption choices. “WPA” encryption is usually the preferred wireless security method as it tends to provide stronger encryption than “WEP” and allows for the use of a password that is easier to remember.
Q: What can I do about Spam?
A: See Spam article.
Q: What Web Browser should I use?
A: See Web Browser article.
Q: Which updates are important and which ones are not?
A: See Lowdown on Updates article.
Q: Is it okay to forward informative or entertaining email that other people forward to me?
A: See Netiquette article.
Contacting Me
Email: HouseCall@earthlink.net
Phone: (608) 235-4738