Its almost like your house burning down, but not quite. You wake up one morning turn on your PC only to find out its gone, all gone,…your data that is. The photos of you kids, you videos of when they were babies, important business spreadsheets and letters, programs that you spent thousands on, financial data, all it gone.
Whether it was a hardware related issue or a virus or other malware, you didn’t take the time to back up your data on your computer. In today’s day and age, this is simply inexcusable. While PCs may have become inherently more secure as technology has progressed, so has the ability of hackers and spyware program writers to create malware that targets your hard drive and wipes it all away.
How can you prevent such a “digital disaster”? Well the first think you should do is have a plan. A plan that will not only encompass backing up your data, but also a plan to prevent virus related data loss as well. First investigate some PC Security programs from Trend Micro, Norton, etc., these programs range in price depending on your needs, with low end personal computer security programs starting under $50. Was you data worth at least $50?, I would think so.
Second look into the various modes of data backup. There are external hard drive, Flash based technology back up devices and of course the ‘Geek-Hip” cloud back up solution.
Here is a list of recommended PC Security Software and Data back up devices:
Security Software
Orion CSI -Virus Hunter
SpyZooka Top Rated Antispyware (Recommended By PC Experts Worldwide)
MalwareRemovalBot Malware Removal Tool
Norton AntiVirus 2010
Trend Micro Internet Security 2010 …….(this is what I use)
Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware 2010
Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010
Data Back Up Devices and Services
Iomega – The leader in Data Back up Appliances and Software
DT Utilities PC Backup 11
DVD±RW Media and Drives
Carbonite
Mozy
This just a short list of products you can investigate, most are under $100 if not under $50. Don’t risk losing important and sometimes, irreplaceable data to save a few foolish pennies or because you “just don’t have the time”, make the time now, and you’ll save a lot more when you end up losing everything
Being extra cautious when using the Internet is important; I bet your parents have mentioned these so many times already. But why? If your parents have missed explaining them to you, then here are those:
Don’t…
Give any private information about yourself to other people you meet online such as your name, home address, phone number, email address, password, school information, and bank or credit card number.
Why?
Online predators use instant messaging and chat rooms to look for kids like you who are open to giving information about yourselves. The information would then be used against you whether for financial or sexual purposes. Making sure that they don’t know things about you keeping you safe. So, if a stranger asks you these things, ignore them immediately.
Don’t…
Reply to, download attachment from, or open spam.
Why?
Replying to spam only confirms that your email address is accurate which results to more spam to come. Spam is a good source of computer viruses so unless you want to crash your computer down and lose all your files, never download attachment from spam. What is the best way to avoid spam? Delete it immediately.
Don’t…
Arrange a personal meeting with anyone you meet online.
Why?
People aren’t exactly who they say they are online. There may be several nice guys out there but a significant number of people using the internet particularly the instant messaging and chat rooms are online predators that so betting say no immediately. Never hide from your parents if you are asked by a stranger to schedule a meeting with them.
Don’t…
Change the security setting or filtering software that your parents have configured.
Why?
Your parents know what are good and bad for you and they know what sites are right for your age. Okay, you may be growing up and are curious about adult websites or engage in online activities but still, you shouldn’t suppose to visit them. If you really want to know things about sexuality, then visit medical sites. Also, if you change your computer’s security settings or disable filtering software, you can attract spyware, adware, and computer virus which may affect the performance of your computer and may put your files at risk.
Don’t…
Use peer-to-peer file-sharing programs.
Why?
Sharing files using peer-to-peer file-sharing programs may be the best thing in the world for you but remember this: viruses, spyware, and adware are known to thrive in these programs. Avoid using these programs and you avoid all these internet-based threats.
