Necessity of Using An Antivirus Software

 Necessity of Using An Antivirus Software

Computer viruses have lived between us and our computers for more than 40 years. These malicious programs that seek to access our data to damage, steal, or simply annoy us; they have remained an immovable threat in the world of computing, becoming increasingly complex. It's not just viruses that are a threat. The malware is any kind of software malware that infiltrates computers without our consent, and can take many forms: viruses, worms, Trojans, root kits , spyware , adware , etc. So if there are hundreds of thousands of threats waiting to infect and destroy us, doesn't the question we ask ourselves in the title of this article answer itself?

Yes and no.

We know that the operating system that is most affected by these threats is Windows, but this fact is not completely linked to the operating system itself, but to its users. The fact that Windows has been the most popular system on computers for decades has motivated malicious software creators to attack it heavily and take advantage of its many weaknesses.

One of the reasons why Windows became so popular is its ease of use and focus on the common user with little or no computer literacy. This feature has always been a double-edged sword, as it is precisely one of the reasons why these users are easy victims of malware. When the user acquires a minimum of knowledge about the proper use of a computer, these types of threats can be almost completely neutralized. It is not about closing the bridge, but about preventing people from jumping off it.

IS IT REALLY NECESSARY TO USE AN ANTIVIRUS?

The answer depends on the case. And to better answer it, we are going to individualize the possible scenarios. In the case of a personal computer that is only used by its owner, and no one else has access to it. Antivirus protection will only be necessary if the user's usage habits require it. By this I mean, that if the user does not know how to use their computer, that is: they have irresponsible browsing habits, they open any email without suspecting that this prize of one million pounds may not be true, they click on any banner have the free word written; he enjoys the free pornography offered by the Internet, on sites full of disreputable advertising whereby he is tricked and taken through a loop infinity of erotic offers that hide "locked cat", and so on.

So you not only need an antivirus, you need someone to teach you how to use the computer, and soon. In the case of a shared computer, antivirus is almost always the rule, unless all users are fully competent beings with minimal knowledge of computer security, the more users touch a machine, the more risks.

The truth is that if we follow some practical advice to defend ourselves from malware, and as long as no one else has access to our computer than we do, the use of an antivirus running permanently on our system, consuming resources, can become completely unnecessary.

LIVING WITHOUT ANTIVIRUS

In my case, I have not installed an antivirus on my computer since approximately 2009-2010. Why? Because I don't need it. Antiviruses are heavy, costly and system-intensive software tools , because they remain vigilant by running all the time in the background. By following some of these tips below, you can also start your new life without antivirus, and use that extra memory for something more productive.

Don't be a "happy trigger”: you don't need to click on everything we see when we surf the Internet. In 99% of the cases when a banner ad says that something is "free", it is not. Do not download how much program offers you to solve problems on your computer, improve your Internet speed, free up space on your hard drive, get rid of phantom threats, scan your system for errors, add a screensaver with little fish, save a kitten in danger, achieve world peace, etc.

No, the answer is no. All these "wonderful offers" are just waiting for you to accept to infect yourself, through deceptive strategies, offering lies to access your computer and harm you.

Be suspicious - Email is one of the main gateways for malware. Do not open emails from unknown senders, especially when the email in question does not make sense to you. Banks never, ever request personal information in this way. Nobody gives money away on the Internet. You are not so lucky, the lotteries you never participated in will never send you thousands of dollars. If you don't know about it, don't click on that link. If you didn't request it, don't even look at it.

If you know the sender and the email asks you to download attachments, be sure to verify that the person actually sent you those files. Many times our acquaintances are infected with malware that sends emails with malicious content to all their contacts, to spread quickly. If you have no idea why Maria or Pedro would be sending you links to marketing courses, ask them before opening the email.

Promiscuity: if your computer is going to have relationships with other users, the ideal is to use protection. If you find yourself in the situation that a friend or colleague passes you some information on a removable storage medium, such as a pen drive, a SD card, or an external hard drive; you must bear in mind that these devices may be infected with some type of malware, which will pass to your computer as soon as you open it.

In these cases, having an antimalware tool to scan the device before opening it would be ideal. I recommend Spybot Search & Destroy. But there are tools to scan files online for viruses, like the great Total Virus, so you don't have to install anything on your computer.

Another incredibly simple way to remove infections from removable media is to open it from a Linux distribution. If you happen to have a dual-boot boot and you have a Linux distro installed on your computer, the best thing you can do is always open external devices from it. Simply deleting suspicious files, whose names do not make sense to the owner of the removable memory, is enough to get rid of them.

Maintenance : it can happen that no matter how much we protect ourselves, how good browsing habits we have, how ninjas we have become over time to find the tiny real download button on a site with 9 different buttons, our system is still infected . The malware has evolved so much that sometimes it is impossible to avoid it all. Therefore, although we can live life without an antivirus monitoring all the time, we cannot spend eternity without doing maintenance on our computer. The preventive maintenance can help in this case. And the combination of antimalware tools like Spybot Search & Destroy and Malwarebytes; they can clean our computer from bad bugs in a few minutes. In addition to offering immunization against thousands of other threats.

Questions To Ask About Kids Internet Safety- Parental Controls

 Questions To Ask About Kids

Internet Safety- Parental Controls

What are parental controls?

Parental controls are tools that allow parents to manage their children's Internet use. There are many types, but most include functions such as website and content filters or time management in front of the screen, among many others.

 

Some of your child's favourite devices, apps, and websites have built-in parental controls, but it's important to know what you can do to decide if you need a more secure solution. But first of all, it is advisable to assess your child's age and level of maturity to help you decide what you should or should not access.  

Why is Internet safety important for children?

When it comes to the safety of your children, you may be wondering if it is a good idea to even let them connect to the Internet. But the statistics are there: According to a study by the Pew Research Center , children ages eight to twelve spend about six hours online every day, while teens spend an average of nine hours on the Internet each day. And even if you restrict access at home, kids are sure to spend time online from school or at their friends' house.

Since your child has many ways to access the Internet, it is important to ask yourself the following questions before helping you safely navigate today's interconnected world.

At what age should a child have access to the Internet?

Before continuing, assess whether your child is ready to go online. There is no magic number to know at what age your child will be ready to use the Internet, but according to the Child Trends research centre , 41% of children between 3 and 5 years old and 57% of children between 6 and 11 years old They use the Internet at home. And even if you limit access at home, they will likely start connecting at school.

But the fact that your child can access the Internet does not mean that they should access all its contents. It is important to research which apps and websites are appropriate for their age to determine when your child may be ready to use them and to assess whether they are mature enough to do so.

Luckily, many websites and apps, especially social media, have age restrictions that can help you navigate. Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and YouTube require users to be at least 13 years old. But it's just guidelines - it's up to you as the parent to determine if your 13-year-old is ready to access these apps.

 websites.

If you decide that your child is ready to set up accounts and apps, or to have a phone or device of their own, there are a few ways to help stay protected.

How do I protect my child on the Internet?

 

Sometimes, even with the best of intentions, children can accidentally stumble upon dangerous websites and content. For that reason, it's a good idea to set up child safety measures with some free tools on some of your child's favourite devices, apps, and websites.

·       iPhone parental controls:  restrict certain content and apps, and set screen time limits. If your child has their own iPhone, add your child's device to their "family" and set the phone usage time. From there, even if you share a device, you can configure various controls. 

·       Google Family Link (for Android devices):  Set screen time limits and controls remotely, from your device. To get started, search for Google Family Link on Google Play.

·       YouTube Restricted Mode:  Block adult content. On any YouTube page, click on your profile picture in the upper right corner. Go to the bottom of the drop-down menu and click "Restricted Mode" to enable or disable this feature.  

·       Google Safe Search:  Filter sexually explicit content in Google search results. Check the search settings to configure or enable it for all users under 13 through the Google Family Link app. 

·       Social media privacy settings:  Keep your child's activity and information restricted to friends only, and control who can follow you. Check your child's account settings on social media to define who can find them. 

These tools will not block all malicious websites on the Internet, so you may need to consider an additional parental control solution to strengthen your children's digital safety.

Are parental controls effective?

If you ask yourself this question, you should know that you are not alone. According to a 2019 study conducted by the Pew Research Center , 52% of parents use parental controls to restrict access to certain websites.

And there's good reason for it: When these controls are coupled with parental guidance, they can help encourage healthy habits in your child and help protect your home network and devices. Parental controls can not only limit screen time and restrict explicit content, but also help prevent cybercrime and data theft by keeping your child away from dangerous behaviours that can lead to security breaches .

That's why it's a great idea to consider combining your parental control and computer security apps so that they can work together to keep you and your family safe from the dangers of the Internet. McAfee ^® Total Protection comes with McAfee ^® Safe Family , a tool that gives you many of the parental control features we've discussed here, as well as award-winning antivirus to help protect your network and home devices.

But even reinforcing their protection at home, at some point your child will connect, perhaps with one of their friends, from other devices or networks that do not have defined parental controls. That's where education comes in.

How do I teach my child about Internet safety?

The secret to success in raising your children in the digital age is to be open when you talk to them and take the time to give them essential Internet safety tips, like these basic rules that we indicate below: 

·       Do not give your personal information on the Internet, such as your name, address or telephone number, without first talking to your parents.  

·       Don't share your passwords with anyone, not even your friends.  

·       Don't say anything online that you wouldn't say in person, and if you receive malicious messages or comments, tell your parents.  

·       Don't upload photos or download files without talking to their parents.  

·       Do not talk to anyone on the Internet that you do not know and do not meet anyone in person that you have met on the Internet.  

·       If you find something on the Internet that makes you feel uncomfortable, don't hide it. Talk to your parents about how you found it, how you can avoid it in the future, and ask them any questions you may have about the content.  

 

 

In some cases, your children may know more about the Internet than you do, so it is important to keep the lines of communication open. The more open you are, the more willing they are to talk about their lives online and the easier it will be for you to install good habits in them.  

 

Cyber Security & It’s Importance

 Cyber Security & It’s Importance

 

After hearing recently some news related to computer security problems in large companies, it may be interesting to address some concepts related to this matter.

What Is Internet Security?

Internet security is that the application of data security to the sector of computing and applies both to information stored on computers and to information transmitted over the communications network, such as the internet.

Because It Is Important?

The value of the information itself must be kept in mind. Let's think about bank details, passwords, photos or even our hobbies. All this is very important and must be protected, because there is always the possibility that someone outside of us misuses it.

Technologies Used Against Internet Security

We can classify the technologies used against internet security into two large groups: Social and Technical. In the case of social technologies, great computer skills aren't needed. They are supported applying deception methods to computing and always require the voluntary intervention of the user of the system. The technical engineering does require high knowledge about computer and, unlike social type technologies don't require the intervention of the user of the system.

Phishing

Phishing is the typical example of a social security attack. It consists of the impersonation of a trusted entity through a link in the email in order to obtain the credentials. The user receives an email that features logos or images that have been collected from the actual website to which the fraudulent message refers and with the request that they click on a link in the email. This link will take us to a fake website and ask for our credentials.

The main advice to protect yourself from phishing is to never access web pages through links provided by email.

Malware

Viruses, Trojans and worms belong to the category of technical engineering and would allow taking control of remote computers or modifying their operation and capturing information (Keyloggers).

The Keyloggers are specific tools designed to record keystrokes keyboard of a computer to save them in a file and send it via internet. Thanks to this program, criminals can steal a large volume of confidential information without the victim being aware of it. To protect ourselves from malware, we must avoid downloading and installing unknown programs. It is very important to keep the operating system and all installed programs up to date.

Pharming

Pharming requires advanced computer skills and consists of modifying the information provided by DNS to impersonate a trusted entity.

The pharming is a form of online fraud very similar to phishing in that fake websites are used, but unlike phishing not required that the victim accepts a message "decoy" as pharming redirects its victims to the site Fake web, even if you correctly type the web address of your bank or other online service in your internet browser.

How does our computer know which IP address corresponds to the bank's website that we just put in the Internet browser? The first thing it does is consult a file of the operating system, generally called hosts , where it stores some IP addresses widely used by our equipment, and if it does not have it, it makes a query to our service provider (the one that gives us Internet access) and it tells you what the IP address is.

The most common way of suffering a pharming attack is due to someone accessing our computer and replacing our hosts file with false IP addresses. Therefore, the best way to protect our system against these attacks is to have a good Antivirus Software installed and to keep it updated.

Man in the Middle (MITM)

It consists of capturing the traffic between sender and receiver to obtain information. For example, in an email MITM attack, the attacker could redirect all emails to an alternate address or modify the information before sending it to the correct recipient. Another example we can have when we connect our Smartphone to an unencrypted Wi-Fi network, the attacker could have access to everything we do.

The best way to protect yourself against these attacks is to connect through known and secure networks and check the validity of the certificates provided by the browsers.

Conclusion

Much of the computer security is within our backup on cloud, ensuring that our computers have the latest operating system and antivirus updates installed and not downloading and installing programs from websites that we do not trust.

 

 

Antivirus makes Digital Life Easy

 Antivirus makes Digital Life Easy

Computers have become an integral part of our daily lives, allowing us to work, keep in touch with friends, and waste time. However, a virus can quickly destroy this routine, leaving you disconnected from the world around you. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent a virus from infiltrating your computer, allowing you to stay connected at all times. Having a good Antivirus Software can mean life or death for your computer. With so many computer viruses out there, protecting the security of your computer should be one of your top priorities. Apart from stopping viruses, most Antivirus Software have other functions, such as firewalls, that ensure the complete security of your valuable computer.

Computer slowness

One of the main symptoms of a computer virus is the slowdown of the computer. Web pages take longer to open, files take longer to download, and overall response time to commands will take longer. While this may be just annoying for some, it can be devastating for people working with a time limit. For example, if you were a freelance writer who had to have a job done in a certain amount of time, and you had to collect research from the web to finish that assignment, a slow computer could make it more difficult to complete the job. In some cases, you may miss the deadline.

Email

Sending and receiving email has become a key element of daily life, but a computer virus can have a negative effect on your ability to do so. Depending on the severity of the virus, the email messages you send may never be received, and the emails sent to you may not be received. In some cases, the mail itself can be sent, but the attachments will be removed. Regardless of the content, when you send an email it is because it has a certain importance. A team that can no longer do this will leave you less connected to those in your inner circle.

Freezing and disposal

A computer virus can randomly cause computer crashes, forcing it to restart. Whether you're writing an important document, researching a project online, or just browsing the web for fun, these frequent freezes can get quite annoying. Even if your computer doesn't freeze, documents and files can be automatically deleted, forcing you to compose them again. These files can be deleted at the same time, or one by one. An unexpectedly deleted file, especially one that is necessary for work or school, can cause a major headache. Antivirus Software.

Locks

Perhaps the worst thing a virus can do to your computer is make it shut down completely. Once it crashes, all unsaved work will be lost forever. The more frequent the crashes, the more problematic the issue you will have. The virus will overload the disk space on the computer, causing the crash. In some cases, the virus will take up so much space that an antivirus program cannot install itself. If your computer is virus-free, be sure to install an antivirus program for future protection. Always back up your important files to an external hard drive, flash drive, or similar device to avoid losing valuable information.

Advantages of Antivirus Software

Having a good Antivirus Software can mean life or death for your computer. With so many computer viruses out there, protecting the security of your computer should be one of your top priorities. Apart from stopping viruses, most antivirus programs have other functions, such as firewalls, that ensure the complete security of your valuable computer.

Virus protection

The biggest and most obvious advantage of installing antivirus software on your computer is that it will prevent viruses such as Trojans, malware, and spyware from entering. Viruses are classified by severity from harmless to outright atrocities in the system. Not only can a virus destroy all the valuable data on your computer, it can also render it completely useless by infecting and destroying processes vital to the computer's performance.

Personal information protection

Hackers and viruses go hand in hand. A good antivirus program will protect you while you browse the Internet, preventing hackers from gaining access to personal things such as credit card information and access to bank accounts. The firewall feature included in most antivirus software will block any unauthorized incoming connections, preventing hackers from putting their claws on your life and computer.

Save costs

Although some Antivirus Software are quite expensive, there are good options for those who want something relatively cheap or even free. There are many free antivirus programs available that will protect your system just as well as a subscription-based antivirus program. Even if you choose a program that you have to pay for, the cost of the program and of the subscription to its service will surely extend the life of your computer, which means that you will have to buy new computers less often than those who do not use antivirus software.

Comfort

Although it may seem uncomfortable to have to do virus scans and have to worry about the security of your computer, you would have to worry more without adequate virus protection. A computer that is open to viruses and hackers often shows early signs of use and significantly slower speeds will be seen, making normal computing overhead take longer and more annoyance. Let's say your system gets infected by a virus. Without protection you would be at the mercy of the virus and would have to spend time trying to find it, erase it and restore any damage it has caused and it will surely still be there, even after erasing it. Nevertheless, with the appropriate Antivirus Software activated and working, you will simply receive a notification that a virus has been detected and will ask you if you want to delete it. These notifications usually appear as soon as the virus is detected, leaving it without enough time to cause damage.

 

What You Should Know About Parental Controls

 What You Should Know About 

Parental Controls

If you're a first-time mom or have young children, chances are you're worried about keeping them safe online. To do this, knowing the parental control tools  is essential.

Although this concern may seem advanced when you have a baby, the truth is that the dangers on the internet appear at an earlier age, so the anticipation with which you dedicate yourself to research how to keep them safe will work in your favour.

In fact, it is estimated that in Chile  20% of children have strangers as contacts on their social networks , a figure that shows the importance of informing your children from an early age.

The common thing among those born between 2010 and 2025, belonging to the so-called  “tactile generation” or “Alpha”,  is to have access to the internet much earlier, a situation that has been enhanced by  confinement  and classes through the internet.

To give you an idea of ​​how important  parental control is , you should know that in Chile  complaints of grooming and improper sexual abuse registered an increase of 19% in relation to 2018 , and that  Tik Tok , one of the most used social networks by minors, is one of the main means used by bullies to approach them.

But what is parental control?

It is a series of practices that allow parents to monitor and set limits on what their children consult on the web, either through services such as Google; social networks such as Facebook, YouTube and Tik Tok; or streaming apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime.

In the case of minors, this form of control cannot be considered an invasion of privacy and responds to purposes such as avoiding exposure to inappropriate content, preventing situations of harassment, emotional problems related to the use of social networks and even unauthorized purchases.

As a first security measure, install a parental filter:

• The application or software you choose will allow you to remotely monitor the child's activity.
• It will report how many hours you surf the internet, which pages you visit and with whom you interact.
• It will allow you to create a "blacklist" of sites and block certain words.
• In some cases, you can send notifications in real time if the child is exposed to risky content.
• To install a device parental control filter, follow this  tutorial .

Some parental filters you can try

• Qustodio: it is the most used application for this purpose in the world, as it is free and highly effective.
• Norton Family and Kaspersky: they have a free version and a paid version, which offers greater benefits.

Parental control Google

You can use Google parental control to block sexual content in a few easy steps:

• Enter the browser.
• At the beginning of the search, click on "Preferences", "Search settings", "Safe Search filters", "Hide explicit results", "Save".

YouTube parental control

To have greater  parental control YouTube  there are three alternatives:

• Open the account you want to protect. Click on the “Settings” option and then on “Restricted mode”. This way, YouTube will filter adult content automatically.
• If you find violent or inappropriate content, you can cancel it, following these steps: go to your YouTube account, find the channel you want to block, press the three vertical dots that appear on the side of the video. Click on "Report" and specify the reason.
• To prevent YouTube from recommending content from a specific channel, press the three vertical dots that appear next to the video and choose the option "Don't recommend the channel" or "I'm not interested."

 

Why Parental Control on the Internet

 Why Parental Control on the Internet

 

It is true that we live in a time where there is a rapid increase in the use of the Internet, where more and more, there is a more frequent and constant contact with this tool; both in the workplace, school and family.

 

It is also true that the Internet has made it possible to incorporate a whole series of very interesting and facilitating elements and applications, which allow an improvement in the quality of life; but it is also true that there is a negative aspect to which any user who does not know how to correctly manage interaction with this medium is exposed.

 

Here, parents must be clear that their task as educators involves knowing how to transmit all those possible elements so that their children make a positive use of the Internet and can be protected from the dangers that exist; since the network contains a set of threats for minors that parents must be aware of in order to put the appropriate means to control or avoid them.

 

Some aspects to consider:

• Existence of cyberbullying among minors through the network.
Children could have contact as victims, bullies, or bystanders.

 

• Presence of grooming by an adult to a minor, in which they seek to establish a relationship with sexual content through different forms of emotional blackmail.

 

• The inappropriate use and dissemination of information with personal data , photos, videos ...

Through social networks such as Facebook or Instagram, and that can seriously affect personal privacy.

 

• Internet addiction, when the connection time is excessive and makes it difficult for the minor to participate in other settings.

 

• Other network risks , such as viruses, that can affect family computer support.

All these elements are characterized by rapid evolution and constant change.

Therefore, it is essential that parents know them in order to act and establish clear criteria on the interaction model that children should have with this technology.

 

Where to start?

 

• Involvement in the use that minors make of the network.
This includes from the physical presence, in the case of the navigation of the smallest, to being interested in the pages they consult.

 

• Location of the computer in a common use area of ​​the house.
It is recommended that it be a place of passage that favours the visible use of what is being done.

 

• Establishing clear usage guidelines regarding browsing time and frequency.
To establish the norms, the age and maturity of each minor must be taken into account.

 

• Conveying the importance of privacy, both your own and that of others.
Make them aware of the prudence when it comes to disseminating personal information, and help them create access codes - secure passwords that do not provide information to strangers.

 

• Warning of other possible risks.
For example: encounters with strangers, downloads of files of unknown origin.

 

• Installation of external control systems.
To help control access to certain content.

 

• Always keeping the security tools of the computer terminal up to date.

With the inevitable digitization of today's world, access to the Internet for the little ones is inevitable and some dangers could arise for them. Denying them access is not the solution. This could make it difficult for them to do their homework, communicate with friends, or follow their academic training courses. In addition, many times it is the youngest who teach parents how to use or configure electronic devices.

 

As a parent, you must make responsible use of control tools to protect them. If you are not very clear on how to start, from TP-Link we tell you how technology can help you:

 

·      Supervision and web control. This is the mother of parental control features. It allows you to check the websites most visited by your children, as well as establish a "black list" of sites with restricted access.

 

·      Blocking applications or programs. This option allows parents to determine which programs or applications will be accessible. They usually work through a password that must be verified to enter.

 

·      Actions that have a cost. Years ago Google was in a unique situation, a 12-year-old boy had “inadvertently invested” 100,000 euros through Google Ads because he wanted to become a youtuber . Can you imagine their parents? Another great function of parental control is to limit these actions.

 

·      Time limits. Do you know how much time your children spend on the Internet? This function designates and limits access hours. Thus, you can give them more time on weekends or prevent them from entering when they should be sleeping.