Internet Security

What is "anti-virus software"?

Anti-virus software is a necessity if you're running Windows. There are so many viruses out there, and almost any computer that is running a Windows operating system is susceptible to viruses. It's really, really critical that you have a good anti-virus software installed on your computer. Not only that, but you have to make sure you maintain the anti-virus software by downloading the updates which come out on a monthly basis. Some people have anti-virus software installed on their computer, but they fail to update it and they wonder "why did I get a virus?" That's because at the time when you installed the anti-virus software, it may have been up to date then, but two months later some new virus may have come out, which your anti-virus software doesn't recognize it unless you update it.

Why don't Mac computers get viruses?

Macs don't get as many viruses as Windows users do. Most of the viruses that I've seen on Macs are basically nuisance viruses. They are Microsoft Word macro viruses that basically affect the way that the Microsoft Word document works, but there are not really any destructive viruses on the Mac. First of all, the market share is a lot smaller than the PCs out there, and the people who are making the viruses want to inflict as much damage as possible, so they're going to target the larger market. The other reason is that the Mac operating system is built on Unix, and that's a more secure operating system. It's not as susceptible as the other operating systems in getting viruses or spyware.

Why should I care about Internet security?

Now that pretty much everybody is on broadband Internet service, it's really important to get some type of security. When we talk about Internet security, it encompasses a wide range of factors. Its not just anti-spyware, its not just anti-virus. You need to get firewalls also because your computers are connected all the time to the Internet and unless you have a firewall, which is a device that basically blocks signals from leaving your computer and going out on the Internet, your computer could be hacked if someone really wanted to get into your system.

How easy is it for someone to "hack" into my home computer?

It all depends on what kind of precautions you've taken. If you have a router set up, that's the easiest way to prevent your computer from being seen on the Internet. Of course, if you leave the router's default password etc. the way it comes from the factory, someone could easily get into your router. So, you always want to make sure that if you get a router or any type of firewall that you do change the default settings that come from the manufacturer, because that is a very common way to have your router hacked into.

What is "file sharing"?

File sharing is, generally is the term used when you share information between computers on a network. Now, on the internet there is also file sharing where people leave their computers on, and people can share information from one computer to another computer over the internet. An example of that is limewire, where people "file share" music.