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Cable vs. DSL - Which is Better?
As broadband Internet becomes more mainstream, one of the most common questions we get is: which is better, cable or dsl?
The answer to that question is not so definite. Many factors come into play when deciding which high-speed connection to...
Find the best broadband provider for you.
To find the best broadband provider for you takes some effort
Like anything in life, doing the research is critical to getting the best product at the best price. And this holds true for shopping for broadband services as well. To find the best...
The XP Firewall Isn't Enough
You might think you don't need a firewall because windows XP has one built in, but read on for a plain-english explanation why this isn’t enough.
Before broadband and cable connections were common most people didn't need a personal firewall...
Understanding The Broadband Service In The 21st Century
If you are contemplating broadband service for your Internet
connection, you may have a general idea as to what is involved
in broadband service. However, with that said, you actually may
understand very little about broadband Internet...
What is Exactly is Broadband?
These days, "broadband" is a word that is thrown around easily
in telecommunications and internet lingo, but the average
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defined. It's easy to understand why; the technology...
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Worms, Horses, Bugs and Thugs
Worms, Horses, Bugs and Thugs by John Geiger
"A determined hacker is hard to stop. But those malevolent crackers would rather walk through an open door than pick a lock" writes Michael Fitzgerald of Extreme Tech.
With all of the viruses, worms, trojan horses, and other new phenomenon called by old words running rampant, how do we provide a little peace of mind for ourselves and our workplaces? Like locking our house, stopping the mail, or adding a security system to our home or automobile, there are some simple things we can do to make it less attractive or at least less obvious to be the next target of these malicious acts. Most of the following preventative measures are free or of little monetary expense and simple to implement, but can prevent immense cost.
If you have the time or inclination to read only this far, take note of the one preventative measure that probably has better payoff than all the others combined, and that is to not open e-mail attachments (especially any ending in .exe) unless you are absolutely positive they are safe. Positive in this case means more than recognizing the first name of the sender, or a familiar subject line. A telephone call e-mail to the sender (if the message is not expected), or use of other simple measures to double-check not only the authenticity, but freedom of contamination is just prudent. If you established the initial communication (say to a reputed software vender for download) you are much safer than if something comes unsolicited from the other end. It is not worth taking chances just for curiosity's sake.
Next on the importance scale is to make sure you have some sort of virus protection software installed on each computer. There are two major providers of such software, as well as several smaller. The majors (McAfee and Symantec's Norton) and both are comparable in price, features and usability. They can be purchased at your local retailer, or even downloaded from the internet and then updated via
download forever after. I have copies of both, being used on separate computers and although there are minor differences in user interface, they both are highly rated and effective. It is important to update the software frequently and each provides a recommended frequency and procedures. Most versions provide a setting that will automatically download updates as they are available and that is quite frequently. It doesn't get much simpler than that.
The two steps above are the biggies for software related gremlins, but there are the human variety as well, who take pleasure in snooping around your hard-drive, or even commandeering your PC and invisibly using it to transmit, infect, or otherwise interfere with other computers and/or the network as a whole. Two important steps will go far in protecting you.
First of all make sure you have a firewall installed. There are hardware versions (built in to modem, router, or separate box) and there are software versions available. If you connect via broadband (DSL, Cable, T1, etc.) you may be wide open to attack 24/7. Your ISP can most likely provide this as a service as well so check with them before buying anything else.
Second, periodically check for updates available for both your operating system, and your browser. Microsoft has a free service available to provide these update patches via automatic notification. One important point to note: Microsoft (maker of over 80% of all PC operating systems) will never provide software patches via e-mail, so if you see that as an offer (remember unsolicited above), it is a hoax.
Be smart; be safe and you will sleep better at night.
About the Author
John Geiger owns and operates the local affiliate of WSI Internet Consulting and Education, a Toronto based global network of consultants, developers and production centers providing turn-key internet business solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises. He can be reached at 828-320-5929 or www.webmasters-wsi.com
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