Much Ado about Internet Security

Countless articles have been written on the subject of internet security. The topics vary. They range from highly technical journals to lucrative, meaning, for advertising and selling purposes. The vast world of cyberspace remains unexplored, thus, like all realms that remain undiscovered, people still feel a sense of vulnerability when logging on to the worldwide web.

How secure is the internet?

What measures should one take in order to avoid all the hacking and phishing, credit card frauds, worms and virus attack?

Are the available tools trustworthy?

How can we protect ourselves from them?

Internet security is an essential tool for users when they go online. Ensuring that your computer is protected will give you better satisfaction while surfing, meaning, users can log on to websites faster and most importantly, it lessens the risk of damaging your PC. It is also an effective tool when you transact business online, like credit card purchases and online inventories for your enterprise.

On the technical aspect, one should understand the terms involved when we speak of internet security. Knowing is half the battle as the saying from GI Joe goes, so here are some basic terms when talking about internet security:

VIRUS – The most common term we hear when we talk about internet issues. A virus is a program designed pretty much like a “disease virus”, this program attaches itself to files in your computer causing it to become corrupted and affecting other files or programs in your PC.

MALWARE – is short for malicious software. This program is designed to spy, infiltrate or damage a computer program or even a whole network of computers, even cellphones are susceptible to this attack.

SPYWARE – as the name goes, this program checks on the user profile. It monitors user activity on the internet like frequently visited sites, commonly used programs and then reports it to the hacker without your consent.

WORMS – these programs work like the virus and malware except that it can damage an entire network. Worms usually get in to your system by posing as a “safe” program, and once it gets activated or installed, it starts its damaging effect. Worms aka Trojans are extremely dangerous because it can even bring down an entire economy.

PHISHING – this is not a program or a software like the terms mentioned above. Phishing is an activity that targets users who transact business online. This is a fraudulent activity which has criminal implications. This process works by acquiring personal information like username, passwords, credit card information thru advertising, emails, or instant messages. These commonly come out as spasm or message pop-ups.

To address the proliferation of these damaging activities, antivirus software’s are sold in the market. They can also be downloaded for free on the internet.

An antivirus detects worms, malwares, Trojans and removes them from your system. Having an antivirus program installed in your computer is very helpful for your PC’s protection. However, installing this program also has its drawbacks. The most common issue that most users complain about regarding antivirus is that it degrades the performance of the PC or slows down the computer. The program is intricate, that inexperienced users tend to make mistakes in activating or making decisions in using the tool that it may cause PCs to crash. It is therefore, critical that one understands how the program works before installing and using the software. It is also advisable to regularly check for updates so the computer is still protected from new virus or worms that are created by hackers.

The most important form of internet security is still user discretion. This is often overlooked. As a computer user surfing the internet, always be on guard. Do not visit websites, which are suspicious. If you receive an email from an unknown sender, delete it immediately. If you receive an instant message from an unknown person, do not respond to it. No matter how gorgeous her/his profile picture looks like. Keep yourself internet safe by being a smart user.