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90 - Internet and online security
they become available. By regularly updating your
computer, you block attackers from being able to take
advantage of software flaws (vulnerabilities) that they could
otherwise use to break into your system.
While keeping your computer up-to-date will not protect
you from all attacks, it makes it much more difficult for
hackers to gain access to your system, blocks many basic
and automated attacks completely, and might be enough to
discourage less-determined attackers, so they will give up
and look for a more vulnerable computer elsewhere.
More recent versions of Microsoft Windows and other
popular software can be configured to download and apply
updates automatically so that you do not have to remember
to check for the latest software. Taking advantage of auto-
update features in your software is a great start toward
keeping yourself safe online.
Protect your computer with security software
Several types of security software are necessary for basic
online security. Security software essentials include firewall
and antivirus programs. A firewall is usually your computer's
first line of defense-it controls who and what can
communicate with your computer online. You could think of
a firewall as a sort of "policeman" that watches all the data
attempting to flow in and out of your computer on the
internet, allowing communications that it knows are safe and
blocking "bad" traffic such as attacks from ever reaching
your computer.
The next line of defense many times is your antivirus
software, which monitors all online activities such as email
messages and web browsing and protects an individual from
viruses, worms, Trojan horse and other types of malicious
programs. Your antivirus and antispyware software should
be configured to update itself, and it should do so every time
you connect to the internet.
Integrated security suites such as McAfee Internet Security
Suite, which combine firewall, antivirus, antispyware with
other features such as antispam and parental controls, have
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