PC Security Articles - Introduction

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This series of articles, which will be released at a rate of one per month until my brain is empty (shouldn’t take long!), aims to bring Information Security to the home user, explaining technical concepts in layperson’s terms, and hopefully dispelling some of the myths and mystique around the topic. My aim is to give you all the information you need to protect your own home computer(s) and personal privacy while connected to the Internet or other network (LAN, WAN, wireless, etc.).

Information Security for the Home User

The primary objectives of these articles are:

  • To give you the confidence to protect your computer’s security and your Internet privacy;
  • To show you where to go to find out the things you need to know;
  • To help you make informed decisions about what should be considered ‘safe’ on the Internet;
  • To enable you to know what to do or who to go to if things go wrong and you can’t fix the problem yourself.

The papers are written primarily with the PC/Windows user in mind, although the concepts discussed are equally applicable to other platforms, Operating Systems and environments. Where the use of technical terms is unavoidable in these pages, at least the first occurrence of that word, term or phrase will be explained, or a reference given.

On the subject of the format of these papers, none of them are complex, and in general are presented as simple prose. An important point to note, however, is that I have a habit of using humour in some of the most unlikely places – if a statement surprises you, it is worth considering whether I was joking! To help identify my (sometimes very dry) humour, most sections written with a tongue-in-cheek attitude or even in full jest will be placed in a shaded box, very much like the next bit...


Caution!

  • Dosage: these papers should be used in moderation - excessive consumption of articles on Information Security can cause unwanted side-effects, including:

    • Intense paranoia, in the worst scenario leading to self-inflicted Internet disconnection
    • Sleepless nights spent tracking down software patches, updating personal firewalls, upgrading anti-virus software and attempting to purge personal information from the Internet
    • Loss of productivity as you research what it meant when a remote IP address attempted to connect to your machine on TCP port 2801
    • Financial loss as you kit out your house with multi-port firewalling routers, ‘honeypots’ and secure proxies

  • Balance: don’t overdo things when it comes to technical security - there is little point spending a fortune on the latest hardware/software so that your computer is as tight as, um, a very tight thing, if:

    • All you have on your machine is yesterday’s news headlines, a picture of your sister’s cat, a shortcut to Yahoo! and a weekly shopping list
    • You can no longer use your machine the way you need to (e.g. you have to enter seventeen different passwords to download your e-mail)

    Conversely, if your computer contains your company’s entire financial history, personal correspondence with your doctor, the article you are writing for a major periodical, three bestselling novels in progress and next year’s marketing strategy for a leading pharmaceutical organisation, then it would be foolhardy to trust freely downloadable anti-virus and firewall software alone to protect it!

  • Disclaimer: this series of papers is presented to you in good faith. However, they are based on my personal experience and knowledge, and in no way do I claim that the information is definitive. I have carefully researched the facts and also sprinkled my own opinions here and there. Other expert opinions may vary. Thus, it is down to you to decide whether my opinion is to be valued or trusted and, accordingly, to formulate your own tailor-made solutions. Good luck!

  • Responsibility: in all cases, responsibility for your computer’s security is yours. Putting this in an industry context, users are almost always considered to be the weakest link in any security implementation. You could have the most technically secure machine and network connection in the world, but if all your passwords are written on a Post-It note on your screen, and you are sitting in an office with 30 people you don’t know very well, it’s just feasible that you’ve overlooked something...!

Finally, before we dive in to the topics themselves, it is worth mentioning that I regard these papers as ‘organic entities’, and not simply as archaic monuments to the fact that I had some spare time to write them! Please feel free to contact me via the forums or contact form on this Web site with any of the following:

  • Suggestions for improvement (format, language, terminology, structure, depth, breadth, anything!)
  • Queries regarding anything that is unclear or unhelpful
  • Examples of the articles being useful
  • Requests for duplication of any of the content in other media
  • A differing opinion!
  • Etc.

If I have written anything confusing, over-technical, repetitive or just plain wrong, I would like to know - the articles are written for you, and if they don’t make sense to you or don’t help you, then I would be eager to put things right.

Important Note to Industry/HMG Professionals

These articles are not intended for use as the basis of Corporate or Government Security Policy. Whilst much of my experience and knowledge is applicable to such an environment, and Information Security is my professional field, the audience for these articles is the home user only. For authoritative, authorised and structured Corporate or Government advice, please contact me via Wendy's Contact Form to discuss requirements.

And so, until next time, when I will start with a summary of the dangers that face the Internet user, whether they know it (yet) or not, stay safe!


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