Security Tools for Windows
- Protecting your computer from outside threats is more important than ever.typing on laptop image by MichaelJordan from Fotolia.com
Protecting your computer should be a major priority if you use it for anything other than gaming. Sensitive financial information and other data can lead to identity theft if your security is compromised. If you do any work from your computer, it can all be lost if you get a virus. Fortunately, software such as anti-virus, firewall, and secure deletion utilities protect you from these threats. - One of the most important things you will need to secure your Windows machine is anti-virus software. Unlike Macs and Unix-based operating systems, Windows computers are frequent targets for malicious applications. Viruses can be deployed to your machine through any number of mechanisms. Often, this occurs when someone attaches one to an executable file and persuades you to run it. However, they may also take advantages of security vulnerabilities in software such as your web browser to convince your computer to run the virus on its own.
Good anti-virus software consistently monitors programs that are being executed on your system. If something suspicious turns up, it will alert you and prompt you to take action, giving you a chance to stop a virus in its tracks. The most important thing is that you keep your anti-virus software secure by downloading the latest updates on a regular basis. You should also run a complete scan of your computer regularly. This is often scheduled automatically by your anti-virus utility, and can be done while you are asleep if the scan interferes with your computer usage.
As of June 2010, three good anti-virus utilities are AVG Antivirus, Norton AntiVirus, and McAfee. AVG offers a free edition of their software, if you don't want to spend money on a subscription. It is also much less resource-intensive than Norton or McAfee, making it good for slower machines. Anecdotal claims from users of Norton, however, attest to its reliability in keeping your machine protected. McAffee's advantage is its simple user interface during both installation and usage, making it suited for less experienced users. - Tied with anti-virus software in terms of importance is having a firewall. A number of applications on your computer may allow malicious users to connect to your machine and take control, simply by using the internet. Firewalls will block certain applications on your machine from either sending or receiving data over the web.
Good firewalls as of June 2010 include ZoneAlarm Free, Windows Firewall, and Comodo. Windows Firewall comes bundled with the Windows operating system, making it convenient to configure and integrate with your current setup. Comodo and Zonealarm offer more features, making them better for users who need a greater degree of customization. There isn't much difference between these two, so experiment with both and see which one you like better. - Erasing your sensitive information when you are done with it is vital. Unfortunately, merely dragging your files into the Recycle Bin and emptying it is not good enough. The operating system merely hides the data and makes it available to be overwritten if the space it occupies on your hard drive is needed in the future. A number of file recovery tools can still access it, making it available to users with ill intent if your hard drive is ever compromised.
Secure file erase utilities actually write to your hard drive on the spot where the file is contained, making it unretrievable. Software that does this includes Heidi Eraser, Active@ Eraser, and SDelete. Heidi Eraser and Active@ are approximately the same, both using a graphical user interface. Which one you use comes down to a matter of personal preference. SDelete is a command line utility provided by Microsoft. Because it has no graphical interface, it may be more difficult to use. System administrators may prefer it, however, because it can be automated with batch files and scripts.
