Tech Stuff in a Non-Tech Sort of Way

In this issue

My Blog
What the heck is a blog?





Update
Google's Chrome
Google Chrome - New Internet Browser



PC Security
Level 1


Windows Tip
Keyboard Shortcuts

There are many parts to pc security. Because your computers are such an important part of your job, I'll discuss the various parts over several newsletters.


To begin, did you know that there are over 11,000 new realeases of malware in the wild each month? You must have an anti-virus program and a software firewall on your computer. The anti-virus program must be up-to-date and set to receive updates regularly. Most malware (viruses, trojan-horses, botnets) are not delivered in email, but by websites by clicking on links or by downloading and installing "helper" programs (fun toolbars, and such).


When you bought your computer, chances are it came with a trial period anti-virus program. If you didn't purchase the program after expiration, your pc is not protected from malware. There are a couple of free anti-virus programs that are very good. Avast ( http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html) and AVG ( http://free.avg.com/ww.download?prd=afe). Since you really can't run 2 anti-virus programs on the same computer, you will need to uninstall whatever is installed first before installing another but make sure you have something installed.


Software firewalls are another matter. When you are connected to the internet, and a lot of people are connected 24/7, your computer is continually being scanned for open doors. If the scanner finds any, it will slip some software onto your computer without your knowledge. That software can be used for several things, such as making your computer a robot to send out malware to others, or it may be a keylogger that records your keystrokes (passwords and all) and sends them back to the author. A firewall ensures that no doors are open to scanners. Most of the anti-virus programs that you purchase (Nortons, Symantec, TrendMicro) have firewalls built into the software so you are protected with anti-virus and firewall. If you use one of the free anti-virus programs, you'll need to also install a firewall. Again, there are a couple of free ones that work well. Zone Alarm ( http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/catalog/products/zonealarm_free_firewall.jsp) and Comodo ( http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/download_firewall.html).


So, to begin to securitize your computer, start here.   

I gave you a couple of keyboard shortcuts last month. This month, I'll let you in on a couple more that I use quite a bit.

ALT+TAB: Let's say that I have several programs open. I'm working in my word processor and want to look something up on the internet, and then review something that was sent to my email. Instead of clicking on the different programs on the taskbar, I'll press and hold down the "alt" key while I press on the "tab" key. Everytime I press the "tab" key while the "alt" key is held down, the box highlights a different open program. When I get to the program I want, I release the keys and it opens the program. When I want to go back to my word processor, I repeat the process, choosing my word processor. If I just want to toggle between two programs, I'll just press "alt+tab" and release each time I want to go back and forth.

Windows Key+L: There are times when you'll want to lock your computer screen when you step away from your computer. When you use the "Windows Key+L" combination, your screen locks and in order to get back to your programs, you'll need to enter a password. You can setup a password for your user by going to the Control Panel, choosing User Accounts in XP, pick your account, select "Create a Password" and set the password. If you don't set a password, it will still "lock" the computer but will only take a mouse click to restore the open programs. Still, if you need to walk away from your computer and don't want others to see your screen, use "Windows Key+L". You should try it with different programs open to see how it affects the program.