Securing your PC.

Every day the machines we use and trust become more untrustworthy. Not a single moment goes by when you are online that you are not at risk for being attacked. And nowadays, you might be the attacker, without even knowing it.

Welcome to the world of BOTS.

BOTS are, according to Wikipedia, "Botnet is a jargon term for a collection of software robots, or bots, which run autonomously and automatically. They run on groups of zombie computers controlled remotely. This can also refer to the network of computers using distributed computing software."

Geez that sounds HORRIBLE. And it is. Bots can open back doors on your PC, log your keystrokes, and even keep a record of all your secure transactions. Some can even break encryption! It make it difficult in our environment, because even though you are a Kaeser & Blair dealer, you are independant. You rely on your own equipment and network to conduct buisness with us. Kaeser & Blair has no control over the security of your PC.

You could be a zombie and not even know it. BOTS can contribute to not only a slow PC, but also security risks and spam.

All you need to do is keep your security patches up to date. Even though Windows is the most exploited operating system out there, every OS has it's vunerabilites. Dont assume you are safe.

You can also keep your PC's firewall and security software updated. For what it does, Windows Firewall helps to keep out a lot of bad guys. I also HIGHLY reccomend using Firefox over IE. However, as Firefox grows in popularity, so do it's security risks. It is still more secure than IE.

As far as Anti-Virus software, I reccomend AVG. And they offer a FREE anti-virus application.

As much as I would like to be able to secure your PC, I have to leave that responsibility in your capable hands. Good luck!