There have been volumes written on the subject of online safety, some good and many that are quite misleading. The reasons that your use of the Internet carries risks is due to the opportunity for criminals to commit a crime with little chance of getting caught and high return on time invested. In other words “Internet crime does pay”.
Don’t be a victim.
You, as a user can make some changes to the way you use the Internet, and can become a little savvier about what you are doing, so that you will not be so easily affected. I do not intend to write a tome here on the subject, just a few easily carried out ideas that will reduce the risk significantly.
It is nearly always your own actions that allow Internet crime to take place. The careless downloading of so called “free” programs and installing of these and companion toolbars and programs is the most common means to compromise your computer. There is NO program that can completely and effectivly stop this. It is entirely up to you to STOP yourself and anyone who uses your computer from engaging in these activities.
Reduce your risk.
There are several ways you can reduce risk. My first sugestion will get a lot of criticism, however but it remains a very viable means to reduce risk. You should install and use an Internet browser other than the one supplied with Windows. It is easily exploited and assists the criminals in getting malware on your computer. I strongly suggest that you install and exclusively use Mozilla Firefox with several useful addins. The recommended are Web of Trust with default set-up able to indicate possibly bad websites. Secondly Adblock Plus will intercept many advertisements on web pages, many of which lead to problem sites and programs. Third is Fission adds a nice progress bar that is placed in the address bar to indicate how much of the page is loaded.
Basic Anti Virus Protection.
Install an Antivirus program. AVG free has a proven track record and has no cost for personal use. You can download the program free from http://free.grisoft.com. Read this page for additional information.
What about firewalls?
A firewall is included with Windows. This should be sufficient in most cases to reduce this kind of attack. Most connections now are via a router that makes common attacks that were common in dial up days rare. If you decide you would like the enhanced protection of a firewall then there are some very good ones available. Bear in mind that they may be a bother as they are learning which programs are allowed access to the net.
What about Internet Security Packages?
While Internet Security packages seem to be a great idea, they rarely afford sufficient protection to justify the price that is charged for them. I am not saying they are not useful, however most of the infected computers I work on have these packages, and that says to me something is not working as implied. I suggest you spend your money instead on decent backup strategies that will allow you to recover from a problem more easily.
Conclusion.
This is all you should need and there should be little need for more. I strongly suggest you buy a USB external hard drive (around $90-$150) and make the effort to back up all your important photos, documents and such. NOTE THAT TTHIS SHOULD NOT BE YOUR ONLY BACKUP. You should also use CD or DVD media that can be safely stored.
If you know your enemy and take some precautions, you will be able to use the Internet with a much-reduced risk of problems.