Security - following the trail

With any computer connected to the Internet there is always the threat of a virus attack. Most new computers come with a trial edition of an anti-virus program. Sadly, many business individuals insist on gambling with their computers by leaving them vulnerable to attack when anti-virus software is allowed to expire.

In many cases the business will also fail to install Firewall protection and they may not even be aware of the dangers of Spyware.

Not every site you visit will be a safe place. Not every email you receive will contain safe information. Many viruses enter a website when users visit certain websites (predominately pornographic sites). These viruses can also come from certain emails.

I once had a computer that somehow disengaged the anti-virus software due to a virus attack. In a few short weeks the virus devoured over 20,000 files on my computer. This was a hard lesson, especially since I had a fully paid version of anti-virus software on my computer at the time.

I was told that this was a very rare case, but was also advised to ensure that I checked regularly for updates and scanned my computer for viruses everyday, which is something that you can tell your anti-virus software to do automatically.

The use of a spyware extractor like Ad-Aware can help alleviate chances of browser hijacking and to remove all data-mining files from your hard drive. Many sites will add these features to your computer when you visit their website, they gather data on your personal site visitation and apparent preferences.

Not only can this be personally intrusive but it can also slow your computer down and may result in a significant amount of unwanted emails.

If you use your computer as part of your business you need to come to terms with the importance of that box of silicon and microchip processors known as a hard drive. Can you afford to have your computer offline while you deal with the devastating affects of a computer virus, hacking or deleted files?

If you are an Internet visitor only visit sites that are trusted, this is where search engines can be really useful. You should be able to trust the findings of a trusted search engine when you are looking for a legitimate website.

This should also encourage you to improve your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies. By becoming a trusted site with search engines, you are likely to become trustworthier to online customers.

Protect your computer and give customers solid reason to trust your site through maximized SEO techniques.