Acer veriton m2630g User Manual

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Internet and online security - 63
By regularly updating your computer, you block attackers from being 
able to take advantage of software flaws (vulnerabilities) that they 
could otherwise use to break into your system. 
While keeping your computer up-to-date will not protect you from all 
attacks, it makes it much more difficult for hackers to gain access to 
your system, blocks many basic and automated attacks completely, 
and might be enough to discourage less-determined attackers, so 
they will give up and look for a more vulnerable computer elsewhere. 
More recent versions of Microsoft Windows and other popular 
software can be configured to download and apply updates 
automatically so that you do not have to remember to check for the 
latest software. Taking advantage of auto-update features in your 
software is a great start toward keeping yourself safe online. 
Protect your computer with security software
Several types of security software are necessary for basic online 
security. Security software essentials include firewall and antivirus 
programs. A firewall is usually your computer's first line of defense-it 
controls who and what can communicate with your computer online. 
You could think of a firewall as a sort of "policeman" that watches all 
the data attempting to flow in and out of your computer on the 
Internet, allowing communications that it knows are safe and blocking 
"bad" traffic such as attacks from ever reaching your computer. 
The next line of defense many times is your antivirus software, which 
monitors all online activities such as email messages and Web 
browsing and protects an individual from viruses, worms, Trojan horse 
and other types of malicious programs. Your antivirus and 
antispyware software should be configured to update itself, and it 
should do so every time you connect to the Internet. 
Integrated security suites such as McAfee Internet Security Suite, 
which combine firewall, antivirus, antispyware with other features such 
as antispam and parental controls, have become popular as they offer 
all the security software needed for online protection in a single 
package. Many people find using a comprehensive security suite an 
attractive alternative to installing, configuring and updating several 
different types of security software.