There are steps that everyone with a computer should take to keep it
secure. This may involve protecting information about your network of
activists, your credit card number or your human-biology collection; but
some of the tools you need are the same. Your computer holds valuable
information and this need to be protected.
Beware of programs or people that promise perfect security: online safety is a combination of good software and
human behavior. Knowing what should be kept offline, who to trust, and
other security questions cannot be answered by technology alone. Look
for programs that list risks on their Web sites or have been peer
reviewed.
Keep your OS updated
Keep your operating system up-to-date: the developers of operating
systems provide updates that you should install from time to time. These
may be automatic or you may have to request them by entering a command
or adjusting your system settings. Some of these updates make your
computer more efficient and easier to use, and others fix security
holes. Attackers learn about these security holes rapidly, sometimes
even before they're fixed, so fixing them promptly is crucial. Luckily
most operating systems do a quite good job in keeping the system updated
and safe, if at least you allow them to do so.
Installing new updates on a new computer is very important. A new
computer you buy in the shop, can be there for some months already.
This means the computer is often behind with the security updates. So
when buying a new computer, please take some time to update your
Operating System.
User account and password
Every computer needs an account to login. This account is needed to
access your data and use the functions of your computer. Please be sure
to setup a password for every account.
Use good passwords: no password selection system can guard against
being threatened with violence, but you can improve your security by
making it harder to guess. Use combinations of letters, punctuation, and
numbers. Combine lower and upper case letters. Do not use birth dates,
telephone numbers, or words that can be guessed by going through public
information about you. More information about this can be found in the
chapter on passwords.
Modern operating systems separate normal tasks from administrative
tasks like installing software. This division is very important, as
administrative tasks need extra privileges and have total
access to your hardware and software. Be sure to create a normal user
account for day to day usage and never use the administrative account
for this.
Last but not least: Never store your password on a post-it on you computer or underneath your keyboard.
Physical protection
A lot of people do not realize the information on your computer can
be very valuable for others. If you are working in an
unknown/uncontrolled environment or area, always keep a good look on
your belongings and never leave them unattended. Take some time to think
over what the risks are if the data on your computers fall in the wrong
hands. Ask yourself, "which information is actually stored on my
computer and what can other people do with this information?". Please
realize, a password on your computer will maybe protect against quick
access, but it doesn't protect your data once the whole system is lost.
With physical access to a computer it's very simple to access the data
on your harddisk (with the use of an other computer) without knowing
even the first character of your password. If the information on your
laptop is very valuable, have special attention to the section about
securing personal data. The above is also true when you lend your
equipment to someone else. Although you might completely trust the
person you lend to, you don't have control on how secure they may handle
your equipment.
Smoking a cigarette
It is very well possible you are working in a cafe or other (semi)
public place on your laptop. Maybe you have opened some password
protected websites (webmail) and maybe even have opened some encrypted
files or emails. Once you go out for a quick break and a cigarette,
please be sure at least your screen is locked. All mainstream operating
systems can be used to lock your screen automatically if you close your
lid or after a few minutes of inactivity. Be sure to enable these
options, failing to do so will certainly at least sometimes result in
good opportunity for attackers to access your private data.
Unfortunately this habit is still not very common with users but very
important.
Use anti-virus software
If
you're still using Microsoft Windows, use anti-virus software and keep
it updated. Malware is software written in order to steal information or
to use your computer for other purposes. Viruses and malware can gain
access to your system, make changes and hide themselves. They could be
sent to you in an e-mail, be on a Web page you visit, or be part of a
file that does not appear to be suspicious. Anti-virus software
providers constantly research emerging threats and add them to lists of
things that your computer will block. In order to allow the software to
recognize new threats, you must install updates as they are released.
Be aware of scareware. Scareware is software which
advertises itself as anti-virus software, but is in fact a virus or
spyware itself. If you install (free or commercial) anti-virus software,
please be sure it's not scareware. A quick search of the name of the
vendor/product in combination of the term "scareware" on Google will be
enough to find out if you've just downloaded scareware. Scareware can be
often found in "advertisements" on dodgy websites with warnings about
"found viruses"
External data (USB-sticks, E-mail attachments)
Transferring
virusses with USB-sticks or with E-mail attachments is very easy and
often done by the virus itself rather then the owner/sender, especially
under Microsoft Windows. Be careful when inserting USB-sticks or lent
out your stick to others. It's just recently Microsoft changed it's
policy regarding automatically opening USB-sticks. This should make
Windows a little safer, but still watch out suspicious programs on
USB-sticks. Never open any file you do not trust, regardless to if it
was distributed via E-mail, USB or other methods.
Only use trusted and Open Source Software
Be sure you can trust the vendor of the applications you use. A lot
of companies are offering applications on the internet. Between these
companies there are several with other intentions then they will tell
you.
Use Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). Open source software is
made available both as a working product and as a work in progress to
users and software engineers. This offers several security advantages
over closed source, for-profit software that may only be available in
your country through illegal channels due to export restrictions or
expense. You may not be able to download official updates for pirated
software and often pirated versions already includes viruses. With Open
Source software there is no need to search through several suspicious
sites for a copy free of spyware and security glitches. Any legitimate
copy will be free and is available from the creators. If security flaws
emerge, they can be spotted by volunteers or interested users. A
community of software engineers will then work on a solution, often very
quickly.
Another problem that has occurred in some countries with regards to
illegally installed closed source software is that equipment of NGOs or
journalists were confiscated by the government based on copyright
regulations as a measure to gain access to the information that was on
the devices.
Be updated
Keep
yourself updated on the latest security threats: the effort put into
harming you may change. Methods to protect yourself that works today may
stop working or even become a threat themselves tomorrow. Even if you
don't need it now, know where to find information and use different
sources of information.
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