Watts Street Baptist Church - Safer Computing, part I

Safer Computing, part I

Thu Mar 03 2005 at 03:58pm - soapbox · tech news

We hear about it all the time. Viruses, worms, and trojans, oh my! Spyware, hackers, phishers, spammers... the list goes on.

The fact is, all of these and more exist. They're real problems, and they affect us each time we connect to the Internet. All these roadblocks to computing bliss have one thing in common: they prey on our ignorance. The best defense against them is knowledge, and understanding the inner workings of the Internet, and your computer.

Unfortunately, we don't all have the interest and/or time to educate ourselves properly. Most of us want to treat our computers like an appliance. We want to plug it in and have it "just work". Computers aren't appliances, though. They're complicated general purpose machines, and if we're not careful, our computers can be used for purposes we didn't wish for or intend.

What follows are some simple, specific tools and practices that, if used, will make us all safer computer users.

I am going to assume that you access the internet from home using a Microsoft Windows PC, and have a high-speed, always-on Internet connection. Modem, or "dial-up" users can disregard the Hardware Firewall.

Required Tools:

A Linksys Router, popular for home and small office networks

Hardware Firewall

If you have a Broadband or High-Speed Internet connection, you must use a hardware firewall. Chances are, you already have one if you use a router to share an Internet connection among multiple computers at home. Most of these routers also function as a hardware firewall. Some newer models also function as Wireless Access Points, allowing you to connect to the Internet wirelessly. If you've purchased a router recently, it probably has this firewall function.

Hardware firewalls are critically important! It is vital that you take the time to read the manual that came with your router/firewall, and understand how to set it up properly. The hardware firewall is your first line of defense against unwanted Internet garbage affecting your PC. It prevents all "outside" Internet traffic from ever reaching your computer.

Some popular manufacturers are: 3com, Linksys, and Netgear.

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