Re: Being smart with computer security.
1. Anti-spyware. I use Ad-Aware and Spybot Search & Destroy. It's best to have more than one, as one may catch a threat the other misses. Run scans frequently, at least weekly, daily is better.
2. Firewall. I use ZoneAlarm Pro. I think it's one of the best, if not the best, out there. It prevents unauthorized programs from accessing the Internet; every time a program tries to do so, ZoneAlarm will pop up and alert you, asking whether or not to allow it (and giving you a box to check if you want ZA to remember the answer, and not bother you again). If you don't have any idea why it's doing what it's doing, deny access. If it has a legitimate reason, you should be able to find out what it is, and decide from there. I also use a router, with built-in NAT (Network Address Translation); my router's IP address is exposed to the Internet, but my computers have IP addresses assigned by the router (via DHCP), so there's no direct route to my computer from the outside.
3. Anti-virus. Pick one; I happen to use Norton, but ZoneAlarm has its own built-in. And there are many others; you can check out back issues of PC Magazine or PC World for advice (they tend to do a comparison once or twice a year). Your local library should have these, or some other computer magazine.
4. Password security. If the site allows non-alphanumeric characters, use them. A password like "R#v*&zkyJ34!" is much harder to crack than "george". Use a password keeper if you can't remember them (then don't forget your master password!). I typically create passwords based on something I know, like the first letter of each word in the first line of a poem, then do some massaging. For instance, you could use "Mary had a little lamb", yielding "Mhall" (too short, but this is just an example), and then convert it to "Mh@l1"). Subtitute song lyrics, a favorite book, the initials of your teachers from first through 9th grades, whatever. Just make it something you can remember, even if you have to work a little to extract it. Use multiple passwords; do not use the same password for every site.
-Mike
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