Ten Steps to make your PC safer

by SiteFounder

Over the recent years security alerts have continuously shown that a majority of PC-Users have no clue about security measures when working with computers. This advisory shall help to maintain a minimum of security on our members’ workplaces.

To view a PDF version of this Article click here.

This advisory will show you how you can work in a safer computer environment and that it is relatively easy to achieve at least a minimum of computer security when working on your PC.

As most freelancers of the translation industry do work in Microsoft Windows environments due to the number of CAT (computer aided translation) software available on Windows platforms, this advisory will mainly concentrate on how to protect Windows XP.

Step 1: Upgrade to Windows XP

If your are using an older version of Microsoft Windows, it is highly recommended to upgrade to Windows XP, the latest version of Microsoft operating systems. Although some older versions are still supported and considered in Microsoft's regular security update campaigns it is to be expected that Microsoft will discontinue this support at some point. Using Windows XP will give you support for a longer period than any older version. To check, which version of Windows you are running, right-click the 'My Computer' icon on your desktop and select Properties.

Do not try to get hold of one of these 'patched' or 'cracked' versions, do get a license, which is relatively easy as most new PCs are shipped with Windows nowadays. If you do not use a legal version then go and get one. This will enable you to use Microsoft's security updates without getting headaches. Cracked or patched versions may have security holes due to the cracking or patching by highly suspicious individuals.

Step 2: Keep XP up to date 1

Users of Microsoft can and should regularly check for security updates. Windows and other Microsoft software products are usually strong, stable and wide-spread applications. Due to their dissemination, however, they have repeatedly become the target of a group of crackers and script kiddies attempting to denounce the software quality by writing viruses, Trojans, and other malicious software.

Although there are some viruses and Trojans around attacking Mac OS or Linux, it is the market share of Microsoft that will always attract a majority of those blackhats writing scripts and programs to attack Windows and related software.

Considering that the Windows kernel contains millions of  lines of programming code it is only logical that some errors can be found allowing malicious software to harm the working environment. Just imagine you would translate millions of lines of text - what would your error rate be?

Hence it is necessary to keep your Windows Version up-to-date and to regularly check for security patches. Therefore, make sure that you have the latest service pack installed. Service packs (SP) are major collections of bug fixes and additional software tools. As of February 2005 the latest service pack available is SP 2. To check, which service pack is installed on your PC, right-click the 'My Computer' icon on your desktop and select properties.

You can download the latest service pack for Windows at :

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

Step 3 Keep windows up-to-date 2

Other than service packs Microsoft regularly provides so called patches which are fixes of known bugs and patches for security holes. You should always keep track of recent OS updates, as viruses and other malicious software can already be held at bay if the security holes they use have been closed.

Windows offers an automated mechanism, called Windows Update, (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/) to keep you up-to-date with regular patches.

To use that, you will need to browse the world wide web with Internet Explorer, however. Since we are going to recommend to use third party software at a later point we will explain the manual updates in more detail at this point.

You can manually check for security updates on the Microsoft website (www.microsoft.com), clicking on downloads in the left menu, then on the "Windows(Security & Updates)" option in the menu again. Now choose "Windows XP" from the product list and enter the keyword "Security Update" in the "search for download" form. After submitting the form sort the results by date to get a list of recent security updates for Windows XP. It is easier to click on the following link, however.

Latest Updates for Windows XP

You should then start downloading the files to a folder and afterwards start executing them patch by patch. This may take a while and you may be asked to reboot the system. Even if this type of work is a bit annoying do it, it's worth the effort.

We recommend that you check for updates at least once a month, better once in a fortnight. Best let your computer remind you by making an entry in your calendar in Outlook or similar Desktop Tools.

Step 4 Installing a firewall

You have already taken the first steps to make your PC a safer place, but there is more to do. The next important step is to make sure no one gets access to your computer from outside your local network. To ensure this you will need a firewall.

There are basically two types of firewalls around: hardware and software firewalls. Hardware firewalls are usually installed in larger networks in form of standalone Linux PCs. Sometimes they are part of DSL modems, too. Standard modems usually do not have a hardware firewall integrated.

Software firewalls are programs which run in the background on your PC. They have a great advantage over hardware firewalls, and a great disadvantage over them as well. The advantage is that you can configure them relatively easy, allowing specific programs not to enter the internet at all. The downside is that they run on your computer and you may, even unwillingly, shut them down, or they may be disabled by malicious software (malware) already installed.

Nonetheless, we recommend software firewalls over hardware ones, simply for the reason that the average user is normally not capable of installing and configuring a hardware firewall.

There are numerous firewall products around and you may choose freely from them, they all provide more or less the same functionality. It is recommended to buy a professional version although vendors like Zonelabs and others offer some free basic versions for home use, too.

We would like to recommend Zonelabs Zone Alarm (Professional) at this point although you may also choose a different one. If you are using a local network you will need to configure the local IP addresses as a trusted zone.

Once a firewall has been installed you will be asked to give permission whenever a program tries to access the internet. You may give them permanent permission to access the internet zone, but this is only recommended for your browser, email program, and anti-virus software. You should grant a program named Generic Host Process for Windows the permission to access the internet, too. This built-in program of Windows functions as a basic layer for networking and without it you would not be able to use you computer as intended.

Step 5 Installing Anti Virus Software

The fifth important step is to get hold of anti virus software, to do regular updates, and to run background checks every time you open or execute a file.

Again, there are numerous software products around, all of which provide a basic set of functionality. To get better protection you will again have to spend a bit more than for basic protection. There is a good product available for free (for home use only) from Grisoft, called AVG Free Edition. For professional users it is recommended to get a license for professional use from Grisoft or other software vendors.

Whatever product you use, make sure that it regularly checks for updates. Keeping the virus definition library of your anti virus software up-to-date is vital to the protection of your PC.

Step 6 Deactivating Annoyances in Windows

Some of the originally well planned functions of Windows have become the origin of annoyances for many PC users. One of the most disturbing functions is the internal message service. Have you ever wondered why you get message boxes popping up inviting you to visit a porn site although you don't even have a browser open? That is the message service that was originally integrated as a means of communication in local networks. Spammers, hackers, and porn site owners have come to use it quite often to 'invite' people to their sites.

To get rid of this sort of annoyances you can disable this and other services using the msconfig.exe program (Click on Start then Run and enter msconfig). More comfortably, however, you can configure such services by using a program called XP Antispy. This is a freeware product allowing you to disable a number of annoyances in Windows. English and German versions are available at http://www.xp-antispy.org/

Step 7 Protecting yourself from spyware

Spyware is another problem that endangers your privacy while working on your computer. Spyware is a general term describing programs, cookies, and other means used to track down your behaviour while being online. This information is valuable to website owners and advertisers and hence there is quite a market for such data.

To make sure no spyware is installed on your computer we recommend you use Spybot - Search & Destroy. Spybot S&D is the only program we know of that is a) free and b) able to immunize your computer. To get a free multilingual copy of Spybot S&D go to the Spybot Homepage.

Running an anti-spyware program may conflict with the terms of conditions and license agreements of some of the programs you have installed, as spyware is used by some products, like peer-to-peer file sharing software. But our tip is: If a program installs spyware on a computer you should not use it!

Step 8 Browsing the WWW

Although we have praised Microsoft products at an earlier point in this document, we would like to recommend that you do not use Internet Explorer for browsing the internet. We recommend that you download the latest version of Mozilla Firefox, a smaller, faster, and safer web browser provided by an open source community. Not only is Firefox a safer and faster web browser than Internet Explorer it is also stricter to the standard (recommended by the world wide web consortium [W3C] ) in its interpretation of HTML and web documents.

The main problem of Internet Explorer (and thus the advantage of Firefox) is that the core libraries of IE are embedded in the code of the operating system Windows. Hence, it is way easier for a bug in IE to allow an attacker to place code and programs on your computer.

This is not to say that Firefox would not have bugs and that Firefox would not allow such dangerous operations, but the likeliness of such cases is by far higher if you use Internet Explorer.

By the way, the babelport.com website has mostly been designed for and tested on Firefox.

The free Mozilla Firefox Web Browser is available in many languages from http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

Step 9 Human behaviour

One of the major reasons for failing computer security is human behaviour. Most viruses and malicious software are spread by email or downloaded manually from web sites of servers. You must always pay special attention when opening email attachments or downloading files from web sites or servers.

Additionally, if you use peer-to-peer file sharing programs like Kazaa, Gnutella, and the like for downloading software, you will almost automatically download an infected file at some point. A simple rule should be: If you wish to use file sharing, be most cautious and scan for viruses every time you have downloaded a file.

An even simpler rule should be: Do not download files from servers you cannot trust if you use the computer for working purposes. The simplest rule to follow, however, is: Always think twice whether the risks you may take are worth endangering your AND your clients data!

One further remark needs to made here: A number of phishing attacks (stealing passwords and credit card or bank account information with fake websites and emails) of the recent months as well as the spreading of some worms and viruses attached to emails make it necessary to advise users how to deal with email from software firms or banking institutions.

It has been repeatedly reported that spammers, hackers, and the like, have created fake websites and sent fake emails to get users to submit their personal or financial information, or to get users to install fake updates and patches to get access to such information. In computer security such methods are called social engineering techniques.

Always remember: Do not trust emails from software vendors or banking institution. Software vendors and public and private institutions have repeatedly announced : They will send you NO unsolicited emails. Nor would they ever ask you to provide personal or financial information via email. Neither Microsoft nor other software vendors send patches or upgrades via email.

Make it your rule: Always check twice on the official websites if such a campaign has been started, if there is no information to be found DO NOT TRUST THIS EMAIL.

Step 10 Always check for news

Babelport.com has been implemented as an information pool for professionals in the translation industry. Part of our information pool is the news section where we will regularly post news related to PC security and similar topics.

Reading the news provided to you by babelport.com will keep you up-to-date on how to keep your PC up-to-date. If applicable, the site team will post further advisories in the articles section.

Having read this advisory and having followed the steps you should now have created a safer working environment on your PC. We hope that this information has helped you. If you have any further questions or comments about this or related topics please post a thread in the appropriate forum. We and other users regularly check for new posts and will, if we can, answer you readily.

Chris

SiteFounder