Avoid getting hacked

Things you MUST HAVE:
·    A good anti-virus program. I use ESET Nod32. Update it at least once a month, once a week is better. No, anti-virus programs won’t catch all Trojans, but they do nab the common ones.
·    A Trojan scanner. Go to www.moosoft.com and download The Cleaner. It has a 30 day free trial.
·    A firewall. Go to www.zonelabs.com and download the free version of Zone Alarm. It’s also a very highly rated firewall.
Things you MUST DO:
·    Turn OFF the ‘Hide file extensions for known file types’ option. This can be changed in Windows Explorer (NOT Internet Explorer) under View | Folder Options, on the View tab.
·     Turn OFF file & printer sharing unless there is some essential reason why you absolutely must leave it on. This is even more important if you are on a cable connection. ·    Turn OFF auto-install, auto-download, etc. in your Web browser. Do not let it download or run anything without getting your permission first.
·    Turn OFF Java support in your Web browser. (JavaScript is ok) If you absolutely need Java for a particular website, turn it on, and back off when you’re done. It has some major security holes, especially in Internet Explorer.
·    Use non-Microsoft email software. Outlook and Outlook Express are especially vulnerable to macro virii. Eudora Lite is good, fast, and free.
·    Set the default application for .DOC files to WordPad instead of Word. WordPad has no scripting capabilities, so it’s safe from macro virii.
One big thing you MUST NOT DO:
·    Never, ever use the same password for multiple accounts. That way, if one password is compromised, the rest are still safe.
Things you MUST REMEMBER:
·    Authority will never ask for your password. It is truly mind-blowing, the number of people who still fall for that scam.
·    If something sounds too good to be true, it is. Random strangers don’t give away something for nothing.
·    When you trust someone, you trust everyone they have ever trusted. If one of those people’s securities was compromised, yours is too. Many of the victims of trojans have been sent to the hostile website or given the Trojan itself by hacked friends.

Ravi Agarwal

NE Techno Services

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