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Malware

Why having a home firewall isn’t enough security

June 23, 2016 by Mike Ellis Leave a Comment

home firewall

Why having a home firewall isn’t enough security.

By Mike Ellis.

Having a firewall for your computer, as discussed in my post on the security settings you need enabled on your computer, is a must for any computer system. However, while having a home firewall is good, it’s not enough security. Today, I’m going to explain in greater detail why this is the case.

In normal firewall operations, if someone outside of your network attempts to make a connection to you, that traffic is blocked by the firewall.  That is one of the main purposes of the firewall, to prevent unauthorized access to your computers. I can go into great detail other aspects of the firewall, and talk about the DMZ and what that means, but in this case, I’m going to just leave it at this. So, unauthorized user outside of our network attempts to connect to your computer, and the firewall blocks it.  So far, so good.

However, what happens when you want to make a connection to something outside of your network? What, you say, you don’t make connections to other computers? Well, here are some that you may make many times a day without even thinking about it:

  • Email
  • Websites
  • Facebook
  • Amazon
  • and so on…

The key to this list is that each of those services that you and your computer makes each day is to a server, or, in all actuality, a series of servers, all located all over the web. So yes, you make connections to other computers all day long, perhaps without even realizing it.

There is actually nothing wrong with that at all, the point is to gather data, whether it be in the form of that email you are waiting on, or to see what status update your significant other left, or to see what the price is for that new game is.  The difficulty, though, lies in this one little fact:

When you connect to a website, you actually download content from the website into your computer.

I hope I’m not making you feel foolish for writing it this way.  If I am, please accept my apologies, for that is not my intention. In my experience, though, there are a lot of people who just don’t realize what actually happens when they go to a website. So, when you do access a website, your firewall isn’t going to stop you because it’s default behavior is to allow that traffic, so when you connect, you download content into your computer for viewing.  If that content, i.e., that website, is compromised, then you could be bringing into your computer a virus, spyware, trojan horse, keystroke logger, etc., without you even realizing it. Just like that, your computer, your network, even, is compromised — unless you have good, reliable anti-virus software that can detect the malware.

So, if that’s the case, how do I prevent my computer from being compromised? Well, first of all, you need to have a defense-in-depth strategy in place concerning your computer.  You need to have your firewall, you need to have current and reliable anti-virus software, you need to keep your computer updated, and you need to keep your User Account Control settings enabled. The key here is that one of these things may not stop the compromise, but combined together, they might just do the trick.

Another thing you need to have is someone who’s got your back, someone who will take time to explain what is happening, why it is happening, how they are going to clean it up, and how they are going to prevent it from happening in the future.  My company, Tech Solutions NC, is able to be that resource. Do you need support? Reach out to me by phone at 919-606-6725, email at mike@techsolutionsnc.com, or by leaving a comment on this post.

The internet is a useful tool, and there are a lot of good things about the internet. The key to using it, though, is to safeguard your computer and yourself from the things that lurk in the shadows.  That’s my goal — to help you safely navigate the waters of the internet without harm.

Filed Under: Security, Tech Solutions Tagged With: Advanced Encryption Standard, Antivirus software, Battery charger, Central processing unit, Computer security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Malware, Microsoft, Samy Kamkar, Universal Serial Bus

Why Your Home Network MUST be Secured

June 8, 2016 by Mike Ellis 1 Comment

©Technology Media, LLC
©Technology Media, LLC

{Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared on LinkedIn. Click here to read the original post.}

For many of us, the thought of our home network is an afterthought at best.  Far too often we tell our friends or associates – or even those in the IT department at work – that we have nothing to hide, there is nothing that I have that someone else would care about.

In today’s reality, though, you have many things that someone would like to have, and I’m here to tell you why the little things matter.

Five Reasons your home network must be secure

  1. Your Identity. According to IdentityTheft.info, the number of people that have had their identity stolen is approximately 15 million people per year, totaling around $50 Billion dollars. While there have been instances of Identity Theft outside of the home, most people do their banking in their home, so securing your home network is a must because of that.
  2. Your safety within the home. Smart Home Technology is increasing each and every day. You can use your SHT devices to secure your home, adjust your lights, regulate your heating and cooling, monitor the job your babysitter is doing, and more.  The vast majority of that runs right off of your Wi-Fi network.  Improperly secure your home network, and you are setting yourself up for potentially risky situations down the road.
  3. To prevent your network from being used for illegal activity. In one of my training classes, I remember the instructor talking about how a man was arrested under child pornography laws. The only way that he was cleared of the charges was because he was away from the home network where the activity took place.  What law enforcement found was that the man’s home network was not secure, and the person that was actually spreading the child pornography was parked in his car on the street, connected to the improperly secured network.  Not having his home network secured almost cost that man dearly.
  4. To prevent virus propagation from your network to other devices. In the early days of computers, viruses were written by disgruntled employees who had a bone to pick with their employer. They would spread the virus in the work network with the sole purpose being to ruin a computer so it couldn’t be used.  In today’s computing environment, though, the focus has shifted from destroying a computer or a network to using that network or computer to spread the virus to other unsuspecting users.  Quite often, hackers will hop through an unsecured home network in order to try and hide their activities, and to point the finger at the person who is on that network more – namely, the unsuspecting home user.
  5. To protect your children from online predators. With all of our connected technology, reaching the internet is easier than ever. Smartphones, tablets, computers, even TVs and refrigerators all provide an easy access to the internet.  Protecting your home network is the first step, but certainly not the only step, in making sure that your children are safe online.

These are just some of the reasons why it is crucial that your home network be secured from intruders. If you are unsure of what steps to take in securing your home network – or if you have any other computer issues you need help with, Tech Solutions NC can help.  Reach out to me by phone at 919-606-6725, email at Mike@TechSolutionsNC.com, or book an appointment on our website. We can help you secure your network, keep your computer working properly, and so much more!

Filed Under: Featured, LinkedIn, Security, Tech Solutions Tagged With: Identity Theft, Illegal activity, Malware, online predators, Smart Home Technology, Tech Solutions NC

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