I debated with myself on what to write about and asked myself the question; What is the best way to learn about a computer. And the simple answer is to "play" with it. Yep, this involves exploring your options, trying new things, and customizing things for you. But first, I would like to talk about security because I want to teach you how to take that 500 lbs of fear off you back.

Follow up:

What should we learn first. The easiest way to solve a major security issue is to disconnect you computer from the Internet indefinitely. But it doesn't have to be that way. There are many important steps you can take to keep your PC secure and they are VERY easy steps. Like the ten commandments of computer security listed below.

1 - Avoid downloading any questionable exe files.

This is a BIG security issue. Its like having someone ring your doorbell and simply let that person in but they have a gun. Now we wouldn't do this in the world of common sense and neither should you do it to your PC. If you want to download a program, (a file with the extension .exe such as firefox.exe) you should always download it from a trusted site that vouches to host only spyware free software such as http://www.softpedia.com. If you are uncertain about a website and its safety then do some research. Most likely if it is a site you haven't heard much about, then it could be lethal to your computer. Avoiding exe files esspecially means avoiding P2P file sharing which poses a super threat. I would be willing to suggest that the majority of spyware and viruses come from this alone.

2 - Be careful with questionable websites

Active X a program that can install automatically onto your browser in older versions of Internet Explorer. But now it has a notification before they install. Do some research before you install any active x programs. If it is Shockwave, Macromedia Flash, or Java then it is probably ok. In rare cases they will disguise themselves as the above listed. Firefox seems to do a good job at only allowing the good stuff.

3 - Turn on your Fire Wall

What is a fire wall? This is a feature that bundles with windows xp and is available as a separate program that blocks ports that could be used to interact with your computer in harmful ways. Fire walls prompt you to allow or deny a program's access to the internet. Make sure that your fire wall is turned on, go to My Network Places within your control panel which can be found after clicking START, go to View Network Connections located on the side. This will take you to a window that shows all your network connections. Many computers may have one or two. Right click one, left click properties. A new window will pop up. Click the Advanced tab at the top and then click Settings. Set fire wall to On and then press OK and then OK in the other window.

4 - Use an antivirus program

Today its almost impossible to go without an antivirus program. It is important, like insurance. But if you do use an antivirus program, you can see when you get viruses and when you don't. Which they usually show up after you have downloaded a bad executable file which could have been avoided by step one. If you are looking for a free yet professional antivirus program. I would suggest trying AVG. AVG's official website can be found here: http://free.avg.com/

5 - Immunize your computer

This is not as crucial as the other four but it can help prevent any viruses that are linked to websites from finding there way to you comptuter's hard drive. Using SpyBot Search & Destroy; an anti-spy-ware program. You can immunize your computer from harmful website links. SpyBot's official website can be found here: http://www.safer-networking.org

6 - If you do get a virues/Spyware/Adware

This is very unlikely because you have been following the steps above right? Well, although you have been following these steps, have other people that use your computer been following them? Setup Limited Accounts for guests or people that don't own the computer. This involves visiting the Control Panel by clicking START then Control Panel and then User Accounts. But what if you do get a virus? This should be done in a systematic process. One, you should always do a virus scan first, then spyware, and finally and adware scan. I'll tell you why you should do this. By scaning and deleting only spyware and adware it is like pruning a BIG tree. It will all just grow back. Viruses have the potential and are largely responsible for downloading adware and spyware automatically. This is why it is bad to scan for only the simple stuff first. Adware is by far the most obvious but it is the source of the symptom and the unseen problem you want to get rid of, not the obvious symptom.

7 -Back up data regularly

I say this not because of security alone, but there is always a possibility that your hard drive could fail. Most hard drives today are still mechanical and have moving parts. Any machine that has moving parts, can create wear and tear. But a virus could completely scramble your data unusable. The best places to back up important data is on a CD or DVD that is not writable. GET RID OF ALL FLOPPY DISKETTES AND START BURNING CDs! A floppy disk is OUT OF DATE and data can be EASILY corrupted and I can testify of it. Other temporary places could be a USB thumb drive. But all important data should be placed on some type of permanent medium and if VERY important stored in MANY places and be password protected. There is no telling when someone could install or mess up your computer. And what a relief would it be to tell someone "Oh, don't worry about it".

8 - If all else fails in deleting a virus

Well the obvious, first thing you should do is back up data and back up files. Then do a clean install of Windows XP or whatever operating system you use. The best advice to figure out how to install windows xp with a clean install for now is to visit Youtube.com because they have videos that show you what is going on. Basically you have to set your CD/DVD ROM in your boot sequence of your BIOS to primary and put in you Operating System's CD/DVD. This will tell the computer to boot the CD/DVD. Then the install from there should be pretty smooth. Make sure you format your hard drive before install to erase all data off it; this is why I stress for you to back up all you important data.

9 - Keep things up to date

This involves keeping your operating system (windows xp) and your internet browser (Internet Explorer/Firefox/Opera...) up to date. Mozilla Firefox should, by default, have automatic updates. Browsers are starting to get the picture of the importance of computer security. With popup blockers and active x install prompting we have seen a great deal of progression in security. Updating your operating system is very important also and it is true, Linux and Macintosh are not as prone to viruses but the side affect is that you generally have less options. Linux, Windows, and Mac OS all have automatic update options. And you should turn these things on. By default, these security options should be on.

10 - Know the dark side of computers

If you understand the dark side of computers, you will understand computer security like you know your own dog. Its a fact, we live in a very money driven world, and most computer viruses are programmed for the intent to market a product or company website. Viruses are very market driven. Viruses are not necessarily used to torment you or invite you to beat your computer with a bat. Rather, a virus is used to automatically download adware and spyware onto your computer. In turn, the spyware gets information from you; what websites you visit, what you shop for online, or personal information that could help them get money. As for Ad-ware, these programs are used to display advertisements onto your computer, that you might buy their product. So it is important to understand somewhat the objectives of computer viruses and malware. But if you simply browse the internet, following the above rules you should be a thousand times more safe.

I hope this has helped in your understanding of computer security which is largely misunderstood. I plan to look into what people would like to or should learn about computers in lesson two. Until then, I hope you find this website useful and to the point.

Related Questions:

How do I keep my computer secure?
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