Computer Security Tips - Keeping your computer safe from trojans

The best way to stop a trojan from infecting your computer is by practicing safe computing. The information below explains where trojans come from, how trojans infect your computer and what you can do to protect your computer from being infected.

  Keep your operating system and software updated at all times

It is essential that you keep all your software up to date. Using software that is not updated can leave your computer open to security vulnerabilities.

If you are using Windows make sure you have Windows updates turned on and are using the latest service packs for your Windows version. You can get the latest updates manually from
 http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com

Web browsers should always be updated to ensure you are not infected by a malicously coded site. We suggest that you use Opera web browser as it is consistently one of the most secure browsers around. You can download Opera from www.opera.com, Opera is free, fast and secure.
PDF, media player software and any software that can connect to the internet should also be updated regularly. You can often find the update information by clicking “help” then “about” when using the program.

  Use a Firewall

Nine or ten years ago, if you mentioned a firewall to someone they probably would not know what you where talking about. These days most people have heard of firewalls but a lot of people do not actually know what they do. Some people also assume that the firewall that comes with their operating system is adequate to protect them from trojans, hackers and viruses. They could not be further from the truth.

Even a good firewall is not a virus scanner and relying on a firewall only will not offer you total protection. In the same way that relying on a good anti virus program will not protect you from hackers like a firewall can.

A firewall’s job is to monitor all incoming and out going data and to block any malicous data coming in or going out. Think of it as a immigration officer at a airport. The final say on who comes into the country is based on the rules of that country. The same applies to firewalls, you make a set of rules and the firewall obeys the rules allowing and disallowing data in and out.

A good firewall will automatically block incoming connection or program connecting out it does not have a rule for.

   Keep away from P2P

Because file sharing is popular, it makes it an obvious choice for malicious coders and trojan hackers to exploit. With programs called binders, anyone can easily bind a trojan to a legitimate program and turn it into malware. This makes it easy for the average person to infected a heap of people using P2P allowing them to create a DDoS botnet.

   Free AntiVirus Software

A lack of money is not an excuse for not using an antivirus program. There are many good free ones available. If you use windows then the Microsoft Security essentials program is great and it is also free. Another good one is AVIRA antivirus, they have a free version and a paid version. Be careful when downloading AVIRA as there is a fake antivirus of the same name. Only download from trusted links.

Once you have a good antivirus program make sure that you are updating it daily. If the software has an auto update feature, make sure that it is enabled and that your firewall software is not blocking it.