Stuff for beginners

The things that everyone new to the Internet should know

Nobody wants their computer hacked or damaged by a virus. Here are a few tips for safe and happy computing that every person should know. Salesmen will sometimes tell you differently, and there might even be a good reason, still, if they tell you that you need to buy something where I tell you to get a free one, be very, very skeptical.

Antivirus

First, if you don't know what operating system you are using, you are using Windows. If you're using a Macintosh or Linux you probably don't need an anti-virus as much as if you would if you were using Windows, but it is still probably a good idea. If you're running a server that handles other people's email or hosts their files, you almost certainly should run an anti-virus program.

Every computer running Windows needs anti-virus software. If you have free anti-virus like Norton or McAfee that is fine to use, but both require an annual renewal. That means that you pay at least once a year to keep your computer free of viruses, and there are free alternatives.

What does an anti-virus do for me?

Viruses are programs that are written to do something that you wouldn't want to happen using your computer. Most of them are small programs that spread through email or attached to files that someone might share with you. You should always be careful to avoid opening programs that you didn't specifically request and sometimes you should be cautious even then. Viruses can destroy your system, use it to spread or just bog it down. An anti-virus program will try to identify programs like that and keep you from accidentally having your computer become infected.

Free anti-virus:

  • AGV - http://www.grisoft.com - free for home use. You must fill out a form and receive an email with an activation code. Last I looked it was not free if you use your computer to do business. They sell a lot of other versions, so be sure to look for the free one, not a trial. This is the one I usually recommend because I've tried it and found it to be easy to use and reliable.
  • AVast - http://www.avast.com - free for home use. Not free for computers used for business. This has very good ratings and reviews. I believe it provides protection on the fly, so you are protected from getting viruses in most cases. You will need a registration code, but you can get one on the website.
  • ClamAV - http://www.clamav.net - Free, really free for anybody, corporate, company or personal use. You probably want the Third Party Win32 version. The only downside is that it doesn't scan "on the fly." This means that a virus could get onto your computer, but this can find it and eliminate it after it happens. This may not be the safest option available, but it is generally easy to use and legal to put on your work computer.
  • Comodo - http://www.comodo.com - Free, but I know very little about this beyond they seem to offer a lifetime free anti-virus.

Anti-Virus Advice

  • Don't install more than one anti-virus program at a time. Sometimes they interfere with each other and in a few cases removing one before you remove the one that was added later can seriously break your system. Always remove any previously loaded anti-virus program before adding a new one. I have not tested the free anti-virus that comes with Windows Vista. If you use it, you are probably fairly safe and I understand it is easy. It is probably not as reliable as the other versions on this page, but it is a thousand times better to use it than it would be to not use one at all.

Firewall

If you connect to the Internet you need a firewall. A firewall is a program or device that stands between your computer system and the Internet and makes sure that bad things don't come in (at least not easily.) If you are using a router to connect several computers to one Internet connection there is a fair chance that it will serve as a firewall. This is only a first line of defense and you should have firewalls on each of the computers as well (at least in most instances.)

  • Windows firewall - Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista all come with internal integrated firewalls. This is convenient but they are not known for being terribly effective, particularly at blocking bad outgoing traffic. If you have someone very proficient with computers set it up for you, it is probably better than nothing. If you are a security expert, it would probably be sufficient alone, but most people are better off not using it at all since it often gives them a false sense of being protected where they are not.
  • ZoneAlarm - http://www.zonelabs.com - this is a free firewall that will do most of what home users would want. It protects both against bad outgoing and bad incoming traffic. It can learn what is normal for your computing habits and allow that then protect against anything unusual. This is important because if somebody or something bad tries to use your computer in a bad way it will usually set off an alert. This is what I usually recommend for new users since it is both easy to use and pretty secure by default.
  • Comodo - http://www.comodo.com - This is a very good firewall and easy to use. I could not review their license but it looks like this may be free even for use on corporate computers.

Firewall advice.

What they really do is intercept and examine traffic. If you install one on your computer they must change the behavior of your computer to send that traffic through their filtering system before allowing it to continue in. This means that they will make fundamental changes which can cause significant problems if done in an unexpected fashion. For this reason I recommend that you should uninstall any firewall that comes with the computer and replace it with one of the free ones that are reliable. If you have installed one previously or one came with your computer, then you should uninstall it before installing a new one. If you have Norton or McAfee and want to replace it (with something free) you should uninstall the pre-existing one first.

Note: FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Mac OSX, and Linux have built in firewalls that can be very effective and do not necessarily need to be replaced with alternatives. They can, however, be very complex without some tool to help in modifying them so the tools like shorewall are a good idea.

More information about firewalls

This gets a little geeky and you probably don't really want to know unless you're just interested in the theory behind firewalls. TCP/IP and UDP work by passing packets of information encoded as electrical signals. They usually travel over a wire but can be sent via radio waves as a "wireless" signal instead. After these signals are interpreted by the hardware on the computer or other device they are categorized by the way the information is being transmitted. UDP packets are generally passed on pretty much however they arrive with little done to ensure that all the packets that were supposed to arrive actually did or that the packets arrived in the right order. This means that they are generally not a very reliable form of sending information so UDP is not generally used for Internet communication. It gets used but more focus is generally made for TCP/IP. TCP/IP works much the same but each segment of information represents a discrete packet of data that also includes information about what it is supposed to be associated with and allows for packets to be ordered correctly or resent on request if necessary. Also included is information about a port that the packet is associated with. Ports are like channels, they allow for communication of a specific type or association to be signaled out from all the other communication coming in and out of the machine.

Firewalls examine the packets to ensure that the type of information being passed via a network protocol such as TCP/IP or UDP is consistent with the type of traffic that should be allowed on the computer. If a packet is transmitted that is associated with a port and protocol that is not desired by the operator of the computer then that packet is dismissed before it has the potential to cause the computer to do something undesired. If other traffic is inappropriate because it is of a type that is otherwise dangerous or potentially insecure, that traffic may be blocked as well.

Email

The Internet's primary uses are web pages, email and chatting. Of the three, email is one of the oldest and most used functions and even people who rarely browse web pages will sometimes use email. If you are new to the Internet or to Email then it is essential you learn at least a few things both to protect yourself and also to avoid being an unintentional nuisance.

What to use

You can use Outlook Express or Outlook if they are already on your computer without doing something particularly dangerous. These programs have had considerable work done to ensure they are easy to use and understand. Other options include Thunderbird, Opera and Netscape. If you would like to use your email anywhere, a better alternative may be to use an online email service. There are thousands of options in this arena but I recommend G=Mail (from Google) or Yahoo Mail. I specifically do not advise using email from the company you receive your Internet service from and I do not advise using MSN because there have been so many people who have expressed frustration with it. Using your ISP (Internet Service Provider's) email is okay, but you should avoid using it as your permanent address because if you move or change to somebody who offers less expensive, faster or more reliable service, not to mention if the company gets purchased by another company or goes out of business, your email address could suddenly change or even disappear.

How to use it

First, you do need two email addresses. You need one to fill into online forms and to give out to strangers and another separate one to use for personal communication with friends and family. You really do need two addresses. The sad fact is that you will probably receive spam. Never give your permanent trustworthy email address out to anyone that you do not already have a personal or business relationship with.

What not to believe

You didn't win a foreign lottery or have a rich relative you've never heard of die and that guy who wants you to help him cash checks is really trying to get you to pass forged checks for him. Every time you get a warning or some great news from somebody you do not know, it is probably not true. Even friends often pass on information they thing you should be worried about, but the warning they believed was not true.

  • You don't have any potential Nigerian business/family members that are going to make you rich
  • AOL and Microsoft are not going to send you money for forwarding email. Even if they could track email (which they can't) they still wouldn't send money for passing something on.

What not to do

  • Don't forward any warning about anything unless you confirm it yourself through a trustworthy source.
  • Don't forward anything that promises you will get something for forwarding it. NOBODY knows or cares what you forward and you will never be able to receive a reward for forwarding email. On the contrary, if you forward enough stuff like that, people will start ignoring your emails.
  • The Neiman Marcus cookie recipe story is a fake. Try out the cookie recipe if you like though, many have.
  • There is not about to be an Internet or Email stamp tax or fee. You pay taxes on your Internet connection and all the services that come with it when you pay your ISP.
  • Do NOT use your CC or TO section to include everyone you want to send email to. ALWAYS use the BCC option instead. Every person who is sent an email as part of a CC or TO list will see every other person's email address and when it is forwarded a couple of times it may end up with mean or unpleasant people. Every email program has a BCC option, if you ignore it or think people don't care, then you are rude.
  • Do a fact check on every email notice you forward
  • When to forward
    • If an email is true AND
    • You personally know the recipient AND
    • Believe they would want to receive the email AND
      • Do NOT forward bad luck chain letters
      • Do NOT forward good luck chain letters unless it is to people who send them to you
      • Do NOT forward 'You will be blessed if' chain letters unless it is to people who send them to you
      • Do NOT forward 'If you are my friend' chain letters
    • It is touching, interesting, beautiful or heartwarming