GLOSSARY
Your computer plays a central role in helping to ensure you remain safe when
shopping online. Having the latest protection does not have to be costly and will help safeguard you from:
- Viruses – malicious programs that infect your computer compromising
security or performance; - Hackers – people who purposely and illegally access other computers/systems;
- other threats.
-
Do I have a firewall installed?
Firewalls protect your computer by acting as a barrier between the internet and your own computer. They regulate the traffic that flows to your machine and will block many key threats e.g. worms and trojans.
There are two main types of firewall:
- Software firewalls – These are included for example with the latest versions of Microsoft Operating Systems (e.g. Windows 7) although other commercial and shareware alternatives are available; and
-
Hardware firewalls – These are often built into your broadband router.
-
Do I have anti virus computer software that defends against viruses and other online threats? Software checking my computer regularly?
Anti-virus software provides protection by:
- Scanning incoming emails for attached viruses;
- Monitoring computer files as they are opened or created to make sure they are not infected;
- Regularly checking the ’health’ of your PC.
Anti-virus software is produced by a number of companies, including Norton and McAfee, and increasingly many banks are now offering
such software on a discounted or free basis, details of which you can
find on their websites.
-
Is my PC setup to get the latest security updates?
As and when new security vulnerabilities appear, software manufacturers respond by issuing updates known as patches (a release of software designed to update or fix problems with a computer programme).
To help stay safe it is important that you download these updates on a regular basis. This is particularly true for your operating system (e.g. Windows 7,
Mac OS X) and browser (Explorer, Lion, Safari).
PREVIOUS
|
NEXT
