From the moment you boot up, your computer leaves footprints. Websites leave tracking cookies, following you from page to page and session to session, alongside the usual traces left by your IP address. Persistent logins from Google and Facebook tie each site visit to your offline identity. If anyone really wants to go after you, they can also make a direct attack, targeting malware to track your movements in the background. With the right tools, a computer is an open book.
Not this computer, though. It's running Tails, an open-source operating system designed to leave as little trace as possible,
launching version 1.0 today after more than five years of open development. It's an amnesiac system, which means it's completely fresh every time you boot up. There are no save files, no new programs, and most importantly, it becomes a blank slate the moment you shut down. It's the digital equivalent of buying a new computer for a single session and tossing it into the river once you're done.
In contrast to just ten years ago, computers and smartphones are intergral to almost everyone’s lives. We use them in our workplace and at home- and often there are multiple computers in all our houses. Then there are our smartphones which are basically computers.
With everyone using computers on a daily basis they are becoming more and more vulnerable to cyber criminals and hackers. It can potentially affect all types of computers whether your running Windows, Mac OS, Linux or a smartphone equivalent.
The problem is that most people either don’t have the time or are just not interested in making their computers secure. It doesn’t have to be this way, it’s just that the information out there about computer security is just too complicated or confusing to understand.
I hope to make a start at simplifying things. I say “make a start” because, computer security is a huge topic, and one that many large companies spend millions of pounds or dollars on each year.
The answer to this for me (and I suspect more and more people) is a resounding “yes!”, but if you have a computer running for long periods of time and you don’t need to be connected to the internet, then it’s probably quite prudent to switch your internet router off. Hackers tend to prefer to exploit “always on” connections, and if your internet connection is more sporadic, you’ll be less attractive to them.
However, for most people this just isn’t going to be practical. More and more of the stuff we do these days requires an internet connection. With Windows 8 coming later this year and new versions of the Mac operating system, our computers will be demanding “always on” connections. It’s not just computers either- it’s our digital TV boxes and even our fridges and dishwashers (assuming you have an internet ready one!). If this is the case, you’ll need to ensure that you protect your connection to the internet at it’s entry point- usually your router.
I know some people believe the conspiracy theory that some of the software houses that produce anti-virus applications actually generate the viruses in the first place. The thought is that they do this in order to whip up some hysteria so that more people will buy their product. Although it’s tempting to believe this, I don’t think there is much truth in it. This article from Computer Hope gives some excellent points against the view. There are some people that say having anti-virus software is a waste of time as long as your careful and that all they do is slow down your computer.
The truth is, anti-virus software is a must for almost everyone. Yes, they will slow down your computer a little, but I think that is a pill worth swallowing as opposed to being infected by a virus. You don’t need to spend any money on it either. One of the best anti-virus applications for PCs is Microsoft’s own Security Essentials which will be built in for the first time to the forthcoming Windows 8.
It’s a complete myth that Mac users are exempt from viruses as the recent Mac Flashback virus outbreak shows. There aren’t many free anti-virus applications for the Mac, as this article from the Guardian recommends, you could always try ClamXav.
Finally, anti-virus applications have to be updated regularly- I’d recommend at least twice a day. Make sure you check the settings. Also if you use USB thumb drives or external hard drives, do scan them for viruses- particularly if the drive belongs to someone else. I know of many friends whose computers have been infected by using an infected drive belonging to a friend.
I wrote an article before about how easy it is for your password to be compromised. The truth is you can’t trust any site that you give your password to because you don’t know how they store it. It’s best to use a different password for each website your sign up to. I know that sounds hard, but it’s quite easy to do- more information in my earlier article.
I’d also highly recommend the password manager- Last Pass. This manages all your passwords securely so that you never have to type it on your computer (in case you are infected by a keyboard sniffer) or store them anywhere insecurely. It also has a password generator, so you can effectively have a different strong complicated password for each site you visit. It is highly recommended!
Finally, be careful about saving passwords on applications on your computer. Famously, the FTP client Filezilla stores your passwords in plain text. Not great for security. If you surf the web whilst sipping your latte in your local coffee shop beware! Did you know that much of your internet connection (web browsing and email) is being sent over the connection unencrypted? Anyone malicious in the coffee shop could be listening in and stealing your passwords. If you have a 3G connection then use that, but if not, you’ll need to secure your connection.
Websites that use https (Facebook and Twitter for example) encrypt your data, but most websites won’t. For this, you’ll need to use a VPN or virtual private network. This encrypts your connection by connecting to a secure server in the middle. You can build your own (as this Lifehacker article tells you), but it’s probably easier to use a VPN service. Again, Lifehacker comes to the rescue with a list of the best VPNs. Personally I use the VPN service from Private Internet Access* which is reliable and very secure. 
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