One of the most important parts of protecting your operating system and personal information is the proper use of internet security software. There are several options available and there are different types of protection that users should have in place for different types of computer usage. A user who spends time downloading music, movies, games, or software from Internet sites will probably need more sophisticated protection than a user who generally does nothing more than E-mail when online. Regardless, it’s good to know what options are available to protect your computer and your information.

One of the most important pieces of internet security software that all users should have is firewall protection. A firewall enables a user to make sure that only approved information can be sent between a home computer or a computer network and the Internet. The Firewall will not allow certain content from the Internet to reach the user’s computer. A personal firewall is used to protect stand-alone, individual computers that are connected to the Internet at all times, through DSL, cable, or some other high speed Internet service. A firewall’s job is to let the user know when information that is questionable is trying to reach the user’s computer.

Another important element of internet security is the use of reliable anti-virus software. One of the most discouraging things that can happen to a computer owner is to have their computer infected with a virus. A virus can be severe or mild, from a mild inconvenience to the complete destruction of your computer. Anti-virus software works in two separate ways. The first is through the use of signature files. When the software reports a virus, a signature file is created, the virus is inoculated, and the inoculation becomes available to identify and fight off that virus in other instances. The second way viruses are dealt with is called heuristics, a process where computers are scanned for programs behaving like viruses, the problem is isolated and the file is destroyed. This is probably the future of anti-virus software, but the process is imperfect at this point.

Most computer viruses are made to affect computers running the Windows operating system. Some users of other operating systems feel that anti-virus software is unnecessary, but the truth is that users of all types of computers and operating systems need to take measure the ensure internet security.

When purchasing anti-virus software, it’s important to use only software that can automatically receive updates. As more virus prevention becomes available, it’s important to make sure that your software stays up to date. Look for software that runs routine checks on your system to make sure no virus slips through the cracks. Finally, look for names that are widely known and respected, such as Norton/Symantec and McAfee, even if you have to pay a few extra dollars to use them. The cost of protecting your computer effectively is much less than the cost of trying to restore or replace lost information and equipment.

One of the crimes getting more attention than many others it today’s high-tech, electronic world is identity theft.  Identity theft is that act of taking someone’s personal information and using that information to commit fraud.  This personal information can be obtained in any number of ways, but regardless of the source of the information, identity theft can have negative financial consequences and be a major inconvenience.   About 10 million Americans become victims to identity theft every year, and the financial damages exceed $50 billion a year in fraud.  The average identity theft victim spends over 600 hours cleaning up the mess that identity theft and fraud can cause, so it’s wise to take precautions to protect your personal information.

Congress finally passed laws regarding identity theft in 1998, but well before that year criminals were still finding ways to steal information and profit at the expense of their victims.  The common scenario finds the identity thief posing as someone else, withdrawing funds from bank accounts or piling up charges on credit cards, and in some cases even buying homes or apartments in the name of someone else.  Eventually, the criminal can disappear, leaving the debt and negative credit consequences in the victim’s name to handle.

There are several things that individual’s can do to protect themselves from falling victim to identity theft.  Although the Internet has opened new doors for criminals looking to steal information, such as phishing scams, nearly 70% of identity theft still occurs the old fashioned way.  Activities such as stealing mail, digging through garbage cans, or even looking over a consumer’s shoulder at an ATM machine can lead to a wealth of information for criminals.  Some measures that you can take to protect yourself include purchasing a shredder to destroy all documents containing sensitive information, using a mailbox that can only be accessed with a key, and being careful not to send confidential information electronically.

Individuals who become identity theft victims may be forced to spend huge amounts of time getting their lives back together.  It’s critical to immediately cancel missing credit cards and contact your bank to put a stop on stolen checks and disable debit and ATM cards when you suspect that someone could be authorizing transactions in your name.  The first step that should be taken if you suspect that someone has stolen your identity is to contact the Federal Trade Commission, the government body assigned to handle identity theft cases.  It would also be a good idea to report the crime to your local FBI office.  Next, you should contact the three credit rating agencies (Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union) to report that fraud may have been committed in your name.

Fortunately, identity theft has actually declined in frequency over the past couple of years as more people have become aware of how easy it is for criminals to access unprotected information.  However, it remains a serious problem with serious consequences for victims.  It’s vital to be vigilant in protecting your information to ensure you don’t fall victim to identity theft.

The Internet is an amazing tool that people rely on more and more in several aspects of their lives. One of the fastest growing demographics of Internet users is children. Unfortunately, children are also one of the demographics most vulnerable to being taken advantage of online, making protecting children a chief concern of both parents and software developers. There are several keys to making sure children are protected when using the Internet.

The most important thing that can be done to help a child stay safe when using the Internet is to educate the child of the dangers that exist online. Children should know that while sites such as chat rooms seem like a lot of fun, that there could be dangerous people looking for pictures or personal information of children. Social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook are becoming increasingly popular among teens, but users should take precautions such as setting profile pages to “private” to control who is authorized to view the child’s page. Personal information such as phone numbers and addresses should never be posted in a public place on the Internet.

One of the tools that parents often turn to in order to keep their children safe online is filtering software. This software is designed to examine web pages for content that might be offensive, inappropriate, or unsafe for children and to block the site from being accessed from a user’s computer. This software is effective and helpful, but should never be considered a replacement for supervision from parents. There are often sites that somehow find loopholes in even the most effective filters, so parents should still monitor computer activity. One of the downsides to filtering software is that pages that are inoffensive may be blocked, hindering the user’s ability to access needed information from a harmless website. Filtering software should be password protected so that children can’t give themselves access to the entire Internet.

Many parents monitor children’s Internet activities by tracking where they have been online. Checking browser history and other files stored on computers as users surf from web page to web page is a good way to make sure your children are staying away from harmful or offensive sites. However, many children who use the Internet are smart enough to know how to cover their tracks, so relying on tracking the history of web sites visited is not enough in most cases. Several filtering programs send parents a weekly report of web sites visited and time spent online, a more accurate way to track a child’s Internet activity.

Setting house rules for computer and Internet use is another effective way to protect children who use the Internet. Some rules could include keeping the computer in a public room in the house, limiting the time and hours each day that the Internet can be used, and maintaining a list of approved websites for children to visit.

A parent’s responsibility is to use a combination of all of the above tools and ideas to make sure their children who use the Internet are protected.

In today’s world, internet security is almost an afterthought. Most new computers and many Internet Service Providers include anti-virus software and other security measures for all of their users. The world of Internet security continues to evolve however, with hackers devising ingenious new ways to break into systems that previously had been impenetrable. Internet security is in place to ensure that information is kept safe and protected from those who might try to access it without permission or intend to destroy it. To understand why security measures are so important, we must understand the history of the Internet and of internet security.

Today, over 1 billion people have Internet access worldwide. North America accounts for only 18% of worldwide Internet usage. But the Internet started off very small. Originally, the Internet was called the ARPANET, and was developed during the late 1960’s with a goal of having a functioning network regardless of attacks or failures to part of the network.  The ARPANET, first put in place for the U.S. Department of Defense, was designed to reroute information and traffic if there were problems in a different part of the system, so if a part of the system was attacked, the Internet would not shut down entirely.

Soon, the Internet began growing more and more quickly. Universities and other agencies became connected, as information flowed more freely than ever before. Originally, everyone on the Internet had access to all of the posted information and there was no security in place. Without understanding how big the Internet would become, there was no concern about protecting information.

The first widely known security breach occurred in 1986, when users internationally tried to access and copy information on the Internet through US government computers. Two years later, a programmer wrote code that created the first widely known “worm”, this called the Morris worm. Robert Morris, a student at Cornell University, created the worm, which entered a new user computer, began replicating itself inside that computer, and continued through the network. The worm was programmed to use as much of the processing power of the invaded computer as possible, rendering the computer useless. The worm caused 10% of the computers connected to the Internet in 1988 to crash and the need for internet security was born.

By 1989, the ARPANET was known as the Internet and connected over 100,000 computers worldwide. Hackers worked tirelessly to access privileged information. The amount of information on the Internet has grown rapidly over the past 30 years, and as more people have access to the Internet, there is more incentive for hackers than ever before. Personal information is valuable, and programs have been created to decipher encryptions, processes are in place to figure out usernames and passwords, and the Internet has become not only an amazing tool, but a tremendous liability when information is not protected.

As new methods are developed to access and tamper with information on the Internet, internet security is becoming more effective at thwarting attacks and attempts at access, a battle that is likely to rage on for years to come.

Internet security is important to businesses, governments, and individuals for a variety of reason. Most of these reasons, however, can all be related to one core threat – the loss of control.

Internet security is about protecting data, protecting equipment, and protecting yourself from the tedious and sometimes impossible task of trying to restore your computer to the way it was prior to the breach in security.

Whether the Internet user is the U.S. Department of defense or a teenager with a MySpace profile, Internet users have the desire to control and protect their personal and confidential information on the Internet.

There are a few key areas that Internet users need to protect and control:

Control of Access

Much of the information that is exchanged online is only intended for a few involved parties. If everything you ever typed was available for all to see, chances are that you wouldn’t be nearly as carefree with what you typed. Many Internet users have a false sense of security that their actions are anonymous online, but the truth is that a great deal of what occurs on the Internet leaves an electronic footprint.

When it comes to personal or confidential information, controlling access is a top priority. Teenagers using social networking sites need to be able to restrict access to those that they know and trust. Military institutions need to restrict access to those with qualifying military clearance. There are several other examples of the importance of controlling access. Effective use of encryption software can help, as can making sure that sensitive information is password protected. Internet Security may not be perfect, but it can keep a lot of unwanted visitors away.

Control of Information

With identity theft becoming one of the fastest growing crimes, your personal information needs to be closely guarded. The Internet is a haven for criminals looking for information that could become useful to them.

Phishing scams, for instance, attempt to trick Internet users into revealing sensitive information under the assumption that it’s being sent to a legitimate source. Think about how often credit card numbers are sent electronically, or about how often banking transactions are handled online. Allowing this information into the wrong hands could have serious financial consequences.

Control of infrastructure

Several Internet security measures and software programs are designed to protect your computer and its operating ability. Risks such as denial of service (DOS) attacks, worms, and Trojan horses threaten to interfere with a computer’s operating system.

Many of these threats are designed to overload your computer with the processing of information, rendering the computer essentially useless. These threats also pave the way for other viruses to enter your computer in the future.

Taking steps to strengthen your Internet security measures will increase your chances of losing control of the important elements described above. Anti-Virus software, updates and patches that become available to install, and generally being smart about the information you share and attempt to view online will help keep you computer and your information out of trouble and running efficiently.

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Malware Stole Hannaford Data

Spyware and malware isn’t just a problem for the average home user – it can be a threat to large companies too. And they often have a lot more information at stake if their computers are breached.

It’s just another reminder that you always have to be vigilant, no matter what level you’re operating at.