Chapter 5
Security Basics (Why we don't want talking gorillas on our desktop)
You as a parent concerned about your children's safety online are to be admired. However, you should also be warned that your efforts to provide a safe surfing experience may be endangered by viruses, worms, spyware, and malware. This chapter will help you build a strong wall that will keep the bad guys out.
The resources that I will be recommending here are all FREE! So you have no reason to not take a few minutes, follow my advice, and secure your home computer and/or network.
If you are running a wireless network, turn on the highest encryption that is possible
You DO NOT want to be sharing your home network and internet connection. There are simply too many liability and security risks. Use the web interface that accesses your router and turn the encryption on, as per your user's manual.
Don't Use Internet Explorer
While Microsoft has taken steps to patch security holes in IE, the sad fact is that it just ties too closely to your system's deepest inner workings. This is by design. While it does simplify some computing functions, it also creates a huge, gaping security hole that is constantly exploited. Download a free (ad-supported) version of Opera from http://www.opera.com/. Or, try the browser that I have been using safely since its release: download Firefox from http://www.mozilla.org/. Both will seamlessly integrate your existing IE shortcuts, passwords, and saved form info.
Don't Use Outlook
Outlook has the same issues as IE when it comes to using your system's kernel functions. For more secure email, download another application, don't use Outlook that integrates tightly with Windows itself. Mozilla (same address as above) has Thunderbird, an excellent open-source application. Eudora (http://www.eudora.com) is another good one, its free version being ad-supported.
Get the best free virus protection on the 'net
Download a copy of Grisoft's AVG Anti-Virus from http://www.grisoft.com. This amazing program will set itself up to do a full system scan nightly, PLUS it will automatically connect to its website to download and install updates! And it's FREE! Another good product is Antivir (http://www.free-av.com). However, it's not quite as user-friendly, and I have never been able to get its automatic updating to work. DO NOT have more than one virus killing program installed on your computer at the same time! You may experience serious system problems if you do.
 Build a wall to keep hackers out
A firewall of some sort is essential, even if you are using dial-up access. Once upon a time, you had to open an email attachment to unleash havoc on your system. Today's crackers take advantage of unpatched Windows security holes, and are able to take over your system simply by coming in through your 56K dialup connection. Windows XP has a built-in firewall that works well, but for optimal protection, download Zonealarm (http://www.zonelabs.com). They have a free version of their product, and they will also do a free online scan before you download, if you like. Zonealarm has been the standard by which all other software firewalls have been measured for years. It's the best.
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