Taking Care of Your Computer

As you would have seen by now, the personal computer has not remained a mere computational device but has become an entertainment and communications device as well. As we store more and more of our valuable data including photos, videos and music on our computer, it becomes very important that we protect our PC from outside attacks as well as ensure that our data remains safe.

Safety and Security

One of the most attractive features of the Internet is its openness. It has made it possible for people all around the world to easily establish communication and exchange information. However, this openness has also led to problems like virus attacks and breaching of privacy. It is therefore very important for every computer user to understand what steps they can take to ensure that their PC and valuable data stay safe as also how they can protect their privacy.

Unknown to you, almost every time you go online – to browse the web, download a file, send email or just read a blog – you are leaving behind an unmistakable trail of personal data. Most of it remains on your computer but some does get transmitted to other parties. By taking some steps you can ensure who gets to see this private data and who does not.

• If you have been using company email to send and receive emails, you should be aware that you would have very little privacy. Most businesses believe they have a right and in fact, a responsibility to monitor your email as you represent the company, use the company equipment and your mail is transmitted through company networks.

The best solution is for you to get a private email address for all your personal communication. We have already mentioned a number of free Webmail service that offer you excellent email services along with many other powerful features. Try to use your business email address for business communications only.

• If you are sending confidential information through email, you should know that your email can be easily read and that it is important to encrypt your message. A simple and free encryption program like PGP can serve your needs well.

 • Never ever respond to junk email. By doing so you are just confirming that your email address is valid. Simply hit the ‘Delete’ button. You can also report the spam to your ISP or use spam filters set up by email services like Gmail and Hotmail.

• Many websites use a small file called a cookie to record some personal information about you as also to log your activities on the website. This helps the website to understand the requirements of their users better. However, if you do not want any website to record any information about your visit, you can always set your browser to delete all cookies.

-If you are using Internet Explorer, choose Tools -> Internet Options. On the ‘General’ tab, go to ‘Browsing History’ and click on ‘Delete’. Then click on ‘Delete Cookies’. You may be prompted to make sure that this is what you want to do – click ‘Yes’, to delete the cookies.
-If you are using Firefox, choose Tools -> Options. Click ‘Privacy’ and then ‘Show Cookies’. In the new window that opens, just click on ‘Remove All Cookies’.

•Many websites request that you sign up for an account with them before you can access the information on their site. Before you start filling out any personal information, you should go through their privacy policy. Every reputable site will post one in a prominent location. You should be told what the website will do with the information that is being collected, how it will be protected and if it is going to be sold or shared with any third party. If the site does not mention a privacy policy or is vague about it, you should be careful about the kind of information you are providing and perhaps even avoid doing so.

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