How Secure is Your Home PC? by Paul Brownstone

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How Secure is Your Home PC?
by Paul Brownstone

Everyone talks about having a safe and secure PC. The discussion usually centers on Anti-virus protection, Firewalls and a strong browser that will reject pop-ups and other web-based auto-downloads. But I thought of another aspect of security that is almost never talked about: the ability to track harmful changes and recover lost data.

Let me preface this discussion with how I came to realize this little loophole in my PC security: her name is Jenny and she is 13 years old and home from school for the whole summer!

There is a lot that can happen to your computer - whether on purpose or by accident - that can have an affect on its performance, and perhaps on your safety. For example, if the wrong files get deleted, you can have a seriously corrupted system. If someone downloads what they think is a safe file, and it turns out not to be, you could become infected with a bad virus. Other events can result in your being locked out of your own bank account or your private passwords and personal information opened up to anyone that cares to look.

As, I said, Jenny is home for the summer. First thing I noticed, more so than last year (her final pre-teen summer) was that she was spending lots more time on the computer than ever before. Aside from normal parent involvement and diligence, I let her do her thing. But as the hours increased, I found myself asking

Author's Biography:

Paul is a normal dad, with a teenage daughter, committed to keeping all kids safe online.

Posted on: July 7,2008

Email: shadyshall@yahoo.com
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