CRBC at the 'heart' of Southend

 
 

6 Clarence Road Southend-on-Sea Essex SS1 1AN
01702 349069

Contents:

AntiVirus
Firewalls
Anti Spyware
Cookie Control
Email Spam Filtering
Child Safety Online
 

 
 

PC SAFETY TIPS

ALWAYS: Use the 'Windows Update' on your PC to apply Microsoft Patches & Security Updates.

ALWAYS: Keep your antivirus up-to-date.

ALWAYS: Use a firewall

ALWAYS: Regularly back-up your PC files.

ALWAYS: Use strong passwords ..see here

NEVER: Open email attachments unless you are expecting one - even then be very cautious!

NEVER: Update your PC files from an unknown source -  especially via an email
 

 

 
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Our thanks to McAfee, SNP, Tend & Webopedia for content used on this CRBC page.
 

PC Security


IMPORTANT NOTICE:


If you have received an email supposedly from CRBC please be very careful - there is an email claiming to be from us and although looking authentic it is actually carrying a virus - so please consider the following:
 
  • We never send unsolicited email
  • We never send attachments
  • We never ask you to update 'passwords' or to give passwords etc
  • We never ask for any details whatsoever

Should you receive any such emails - even if they claim to be 'virus free' please delete as they are not from us!


Many other websites worldwide are troubled by similar situations and this reinforces the need for increasing the security on a PC - in most cases it costs very little if anything at all - as there are some excellent freeware programs available.


For further information please see below ...
 

Do you have any of the following installed on your PC or know anything about them?
 
  • AntiVirus Program
  • Firewall
  • Anti-Spyware Program
  • Cookie Control Program
  • Email Anti-Spam Filtering

If your answer is 'no' to any of the above then this page may just be for you! You can run a  basic security test of your computer now just click here. Then we recommend clicking here to visit a small site explaining why your PC needs protection. It is designed for the newcomer and is presented in plain English.

This CRBC page is written to provide a very basic background. You will not find in-depth articles here. Please refer to the many excellent websites and books already covering the various aspects of PC security. A visit to www.tom-cat.com is highly recommended.

Words underlined in dark blue -  i.e. viruses on this page are linked to Webopedia where you may obtain a good definition of the word. If a 'technical' word is not linked in this way, try entering the word in the Webopedia search box in the left panel.

Before proceeding please read the important notice in the panel on the right.
 
 
AntiVirus:

New computer viruses are discovered every day  and their disastrous effects are widely reported in the media. To safeguard your PC against such attacks an up-to-date virus scanner is vital - such as Norton's or McAfee etc which can be purchased online or from most computer shops.  A free antivirus program (AVG) can be downloaded here.

For an immediate scan of your PC - click the red 'ONLINE VIRUS SCAN' box on the right just below the 'Misc' button

Further protection against Trojans and worms can be obtained by programs such as Trojan Remover - a 30 day free trial can be download here.
 

 
 
 
Firewalls:
 

When connected to the internet your PC is joined to other computers around the world. This can make your computer extremely vulnerable to attacks, especially if you have a broadband connection. You can check your security by going to the GRC.com site here and running the ShieldsUp test.

There are many good firewalls on the market. Again a visit to your local computer shop will be worthwhile. A very good free firewall called Zone Alarm can be downloaded here. If you like the product you may like to buy the pro version - visit the Zonelabs main page here. However most users find the free version is adequate.

To gain a better understanding of firewalls click here
 
 
Spyware :
 

Spyware can hide on a PC sending personal information to a database on another system without the owner's knowledge or consent. When installing software especially freeware always read the terms and conditions along with the privacy statement. You may also enter the name of the program into the Spyware.com search box below - to see if the software is on their  spyware hit list

 

Search Spyware-Guide.com

There are two excellent programs designed to rid a computer of spyware:
Ad-aware - can be obtained free - click here
Spybot Search & Destroy - free but they do ask for a donation click here
 
 
Cookie Control :
 

Cookies are small text files placed on a PC. These can benefit the user i.e. when revisiting a website where you have set your own preferences - see Google search engine settings in Child Safety section below. Other cookies can be placed on a PC to track the users browsing habits and to build a profile which may benefit an advertising agency rather than the user.

Obviously it would be wise to manage the cookies on the users PC - keeping the ones you want but stopping the ones you don't. Windows does meet this to some extent when correctly configured, but a third party program can give much more control. Consider an old favourite - Cookiewall - this program gives you the flexibility to temporarily accept cookies then delete them afterwards. This free program can be download from here

 
 
E-Mail Anti-Spam Filtering :
 
Not only can your e-mail inbox overflow with junk mail - SPAM - but there is a very real chance for your PC to be infected by a virus, Trojan or worm or plagued by phishing. Again there are some very good programs that can help in this area. One program called Mailwasher allows the user to read emails on the server - they are only downloaded to the PC when the user is satisfied they are ok! The free version is limited to one e-mail account and does not support Hotmail. You can download this program from this location.
 
 
Child Safety:
 

Safety for children on the internet is paramount. To be one step ahead we recommend a visit to the parents section of www.thinkuknow.co.uk Many famous children's organisations are behind it! Please do remember if a child is to use a standard search engine, most offer a safe search filter - beware though, they are not 100%.  Google.com offers a safe search mode - just go to www.google.com click preferences then after setting the level of search filtering press 'Save Preferences' Remember this is one cookie you will want on your PC!

 
 

We do hope this information has been of value to you. Is there anything you would like us to consider regarding PC security? Experience has shown that most surfers would welcome a little basic understanding. We hope this has met that need. If it has, please email the webmaster.
 
 
 
 

 
  
 

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Always read the full download instructions. Back up files before making any changes on your computer. If in any doubt please consult a qualified PC engineer.
Downloading any programs or using an active scan of your PC as a result of this page is done entirely at YOUR OWN RISK!

 Click here to read our disclaimer page

 If you have any queries or comments on the software featured on this page please contact the vendor directly.
THANK YOU

Recommended
Websites:

Microsoft Support
tom-cat.com

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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