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Tip 5: Use Strong PC Protection SoftwareWe do not think that it should take much to convince you that strong pc protection software is a must have. Alas, as technology becomes ever more complex and lower in cost, the range of threats to a pc online is expanding. Self protection online these days requires strong anti-virus software, a good firewall, spyware protection and more. These can be organised for low cost - some even for free - protection. It is just as vital that these programs are enabled to update themselves as often as possible. We have seen ethical hackers on television suggest that such software should be updated more than once per day! We felt that this was heading towards overkill, but they are the experts on this particular topic. Enabling updates and critical updates from Microsoft is also important - these are the well known 'Microsoft patches'. As holes in software systems are uncovered and solutions prepared, it makes sense to add them to your defensive arsenal as often as possible. By doing this, a program is able to maintain itself and remain strong pc protection software. Whilst on this subject, much thought should be given to password security online. As good as computer security may be, if the passwords that protect information are simple to guess or attack, the system is vulnerable. Avoid using words as there are programs that can in a matter of twenty minutes or so, test every word in the dictionary. Frighteningly, there are such programs for most languages which means that during a few hours, millions of potential words in a dozen or more languages can be tested. This means that every password combination needs at least one - and preferably several - numbers. Ideally, for real password security, each should have several letters and several numbers. It is also worth noting that using the same password combination for every account is not a great idea. Yet, your authors, like everyone else, recognise that these days we all have twenty or more online passwords and it is almost impossible to recall them all if they are all different, eight or ten digits and a combination of letters and numbers! If we could do that, we would probably be entering into memory contests! Therefore, some compromise is required. If you can remember them, try to have several such passwords. This means that a fraudster will not automatically have access to every account and system by learning one combination.
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