Simple items to make your  Home PC/Network safe.

Router / Firewall / Anti-virus / Spyware & Malware protection / Wireless / Backup

 

1. Buy a router with a SPI-firewall. Does not matter which brand or make, as long as it does NAT translation and if a wireless router has WPA security which most do. This router will isolate you from the internet.

2. Firewall for your computer. If you have XP SP2 it has a decent one built in. Make sure it is on and is not full of open ports from software that you have installed.*

3. Install a good antivirus/malware Protection program and keep it up to date. Also make sure that you allow it to do a full scan your computer at least once a week. If you cannot afford to purchase it , then install a free version. AVG, Microsoft and Avast are all very good and AVG and Microsoft have free versions.

4. If you use a wireless router make sure that you change the password of the router, set up security using WPA Personal and MAC filtering. These three items can help in securing your wireless.

5. Backup your information! There as so many options out there. The most important item to back up is your user profile. The next item would be the complete computer’s hard drive. For non-technical people the best kind of backup software is one that backs up data in its natural format.