How to Keep Your Computer Secure

explained simply

Site Map

HOME
Home Page: what this site is about, i.e. keeping your computer secure.
More details on our About Computer Secure page.

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Using the Internet Safely

Safe Browsing
General points about how to browse the web safely so you stay safe from virus, worm and spyware threats.

Keeping Children Safe on the Web
About methods to block offensive web sites and filter the web for children; parental control software to monitor children's computer use; how to supervise what children see and do on the web.
Parental Control Software
About some of the actual oftware products available to block and filter the web for children.
And here is an article about Child Safety and Web Predators

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Security Threats and Pests:
Spyware & Adware:
Protection from virus, worm, trojan threats.

Adware and Spyware tools
Pushy advertising for anti-spyware software is all over the internet: don't be fooled by that.
We explain sypware protection simply. We point you to the respected anti-spyware tools you can trust. (Some of them are free to download and use.)

Compare 5 top anti-spyware programs
We see this nonsense all over the web: a table of no-name antispyware tools 'reviewed' or ranked with ticks and stars. Then the advertiser declares which one is 'best' – although you and I have never heard of it before.
Here is our table of five top quality, respected anti-spyware tools – compared on some main features that people actually care about, like what kind of customer support is available, whether we can get a free trial, etc.


Antivirus tools.
The most widely used and well known brands are not always the best, they just have better marketing.
We discuss virus, worm and trojan horse protection – and which companies are the real anti-virus specialists you can rely on.

– Page about Kaspersky security tools.

– Page about BitDefender security tools.

– Page about Panda security tools.

Free and online virus scanners and removers.
Most of these respected anti-virus specialists will provide free (possibly online) virus scanners and free tools (online or to download) to remove known viruses, backdoors, worms, trojans etc.
If you have any reason to believe that you already have a virus or worm go to this page to find a free fix.

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Firewalls

SOFTWARE FIREWALLS: Main page about personal software firewalls

– How useful are personal firewalls?

– Features of good Firewalls

– Firewall Basics: Facts about Firewalls

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News

Latest Virus News
Virus updates from reputable virus and security specialists.

This section is not just for decoration. It's about the latest, spreading, virus and worm threats (including trojan horses, keyloggers and so on) that have been detected by the top anti-virus specialists.

These companies, e.g. Kaspersly Lab and BitDefender, usually try to quickly provide free advice and help for you on their sites – they may already have a free repair tool for you, or at least some advice, if you are a victim of the latest malware.

Other Computer Security News
Other interesting security news, not about the latest threats.

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Glossary of Malware Terms
A short, simple glossary explaining common terms such as virus, spyware, worm, trojan horse, zombie etc.

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Also:
Registry Tools Page
A page about tools to clean and repair the Windows registry.
This is another area where we find the internet is infested with aggressively advertised junk. Don't be fooled. Only use reputable software to clean your Windows registry.

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Other Information

About your data and your hard drive: what can damage a hard drive; what to do if your hard drive is damaged; what do data recovery services do?

About Hard Drives and Data Recovery
Causes of Data Loss, and Data Recovery
Data Recovery and Undeleting Software

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Other Information

Articles Index Page

About Using and Storing Passwords Safely and Securely.

More information about Adware.

More information about Spyware.

More information about viruses, worms and trojan horses.

Information page about rogue programs and the unethical advertising that is used to sell them.

Quick article about 'ransomware': some (re)surfaced in 2007.

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Other Online Security Issues.

About identity theft, phishing, secure banking etc.

Notes about security and online banking
14 Steps to Prevent Identity Theft
Reducing the Risks of Identity Theft
2007 News about the Incidence of Identity Theft
College Children – Targets for Identity Theft

Phishing and Identity Theft
Phishing in Banking and Finance
Phishing and vishing scam targeted Bank of America customers
Recognize Spoof and Phishing Emails
About an eBay phishing scam

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Articles and News

Here are news items and articles about other security-related topics. We don't cover some of these topics on this site so we have links out to articles, news and advice including:

Articles about computer security

Using Broadband Internet Connections

Networks

Software

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It is safe to turn javascript on for this site. The only scripts here are to do boring things such as show the date, count visitors and update the news.
If you have no idea what we are talking about – if you don't know what it means to say that a script is being run on a web page – you can learn about it on our page about browsers and safe surfing.

• Remember these basic requirements to staying secure online:
• Making your browser more secure (or maybe using a different browser).
• Using anti-spyware tools. (A few.)
• Using an antivirus tool. (One good one that runs all the time.)
• Using a firewall. (Just one.)
• Using email safely. (Some antivirus and anti-spyware tools will monitor incoming and outgoing emails.)