Positive Technology Solutions from Positek.net LLC

Here's a checklist of things that you need to have and/or do to reduce the number and severity of problems in your computing life. A nice alternative list we like is here, which is geared along simpler lines. Check back here periodically for updates, and feel free to copy this information to a document on your desktop - or better yet, printed out and posted next to your monitor!

1. Practice safe computing (see the details on the right).
2. Use anti-virus protection: Positek.net recommends Zone Alarm Security Suite, which includes anti-hacker, anti-spam and anti-spyware protection.  Do not use outdated antivirus software! Think: The bad guys have had up to a year to find ways to defeat the protection provided by last year's prograrm. Always purchase the latest version whenever it becomes available.
3. Use anti-hacker protection: Positek.net recommends Zone Alarm Security Suite for personal computer protection, which includes anti-virus, anti-spam and anti-spyware protection. If your computer is part of a network (subject to the network owner's permission), you should also have a hardware firewall. For home users on broadband connections, a firewall/router that incorporates both NAT & SPI is not much more expensive than a standard Cable/DSL router, so why not get the added protection of SPI? Look for SPI or Stateful Packet Inspection on the packaging. For home users, Positek.net recommends the Linksys WRT54G or the Netgear ProSafe line of firewall/routers. N.B. While not all hackers are bad guys, bad guys on the internet are often hackers. They use thousands of unprotected computers just like yours to launch attacks against other computers, send viruses, advertising, hoax emails, spyware, etc. Most times, the unwary computer user notices only that their computer is running a bit slower than it used to, when in fact it is a "zombie" under the control of a bad guy somewhere.
4. Keep Microsoft Windows up-to-date: Use Windows Update regularly (on Internet Explorer's Tools menu) - at least weekly - to keep your Microsoft Windows operating system (Windows XP, 2000, ME, 98SE or 98) up-to-date. Install any and all critical updates and Service Packs as soon they appear. If you have Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), you should have set this to happen automatically. Otherwise, either use the critical update notifier feature in Windows, or go to Windows Update often. Install everything you see (except maybe stuff under the device drivers section, you should really get those from your computer manufacturer's support website). Even if you use another type of browser (Opera, Firefox, etc.) you should run Windows Update because many of the security updates apply to the entire operating system, not just Microsoft Internet Explorer.
   • If you have Windows XP and MS Office, consider upgrading to Microsoft Update (on the Windows Update website), which combines automatic updating features for nearly all installed Microsoft products.
5. Keep other software up-to-date: Keep your other software up-to-date, especially Microsoft Office. For Office users, run Office Update on a regular basis (like weekly). Be sure to have your Office install CD on hand - for some arcane reason Microsoft requires it to update older version of MS Office. For any other software that you use, check the vendor's website at least quarterly for updates, patches, and upgrades. Out of date software is a constant source of problems, both from the standpoint of system reliability, and often from the standpoint of system security.
   • Don't allow any other programs or utilities to be installed with software you download or buy.  Look at the installation dialogue windows carefully and uncheck or deselect any add-ons, trial versions, or utilities other than the program you are intending to install.
6. Use anti-spyware protection: Positek.net recommends Webroot Spy Sweeper or Sunbelt Software Counterspy (only use one) for protection against spyware, adware, malware - any program or utility that attempts to sneak its way onto your computer. If your system already is infected (and if you haven't proactively protected your computer system when you first turned it on--it is), use both these programs in turn, and also Spybot Search & Destroy and Ad-Aware SE Personal 1.06 to fully clean off junk.  Some really bad stuff may require more powerful (and potentially dangerous) tools, such as HijackThis or CWShredder. As usual, keep protection software up-to-date (download updates often) and run a scan of your entire system on a regular basis (say, monthly or more often).
7. Stop popups, SPAM, and other junk: For popup protection, Windows XP's SP2 includes a measure of protection, but we recommend everyone use an additional program to block popup ads. The Google Toolbar gives good protection for Internet Explorer, and also gives you a handy way to search for information quickly. For SPAM, we've found that none of the current products does a great job at stopping SPAM.  Interestingly, Zone Alarm Security Suite's anti-spam tool is very good, and since you should already have it, use it! For other junk, we recommend you turn off Windows Messenger service (this is not MSN Messenger or AOL or anyone else's IM products, but something built into Windows and usually unnecessary). A handy tool to do this is available at Gibson Research Corporation along with 2 other handy tools (see "Your Three Musketeers").
   • Internet Explorer has a number of well-known security concerns (and new ones are being discovered daily). As an alternative, you can use a different web browser. Internet Explorer is built-into Windows, and has serious security concerns. A great alternative is Firefox, available at www.mozilla.org. It has popup protection built-in, and a host of other features. Simply use it instead of Internet Explorer to surf the web.  NB:  Like any other software, scrupulously keep it up-to-date. And don't assume that using Firefox gives you complete protection from bad stuff. Use care when surfing the net (see tips at right) -- surf defensively!