Home Internet Security
When using your personal computer at home, do you worry about unethical users breaking into your computer and stealing information? Perhaps you are more concerned about a virus sneaking into your system behind an innocent-seeming email and destroying hardware and software alike. Or your greatest fear might be related to your children’s Internet access and what may wait there or even come looking for them via spam and unwanted email. All of these concerns are legitimate, and many parents share them—some to the point of refusing to keep a computer in their homes or letting the kids use one for any reason. While these dramatic measures are understandable, there are things a responsible parent can do to decrease the likelihood of a child being confronted with pornographic material or being lured into a deviant molester’s lair. Security begins with a competent software program. At the time you purchased your computer, you probably also bought an operating system or had one installed shortly thereafter. As part of the operating system, or in conjunction with it, you may have installed a software application that helps to protect your computer’s hard drive and information storage from those who would steal or destroy it. But if it has been some time since your security software was upgraded, you may be overdue for a download or