_How to surf save!
_One hears all the time; you have to educate the children via the new media they already are using. The teachers should use the new media in order to give the students the best learning opportunities they can create. Pupils should be educated to use the internet as a helping tool to get information and to use it in a wise and reflected way.
One can teach the students with the help of the interactive whiteboard and give them the opportunity to learn to work with a computer. But I experienced that many students use the internet without being aware of the possible problems and dangers like mal-ware (Trojans, Viruses,...).
One leaves trace marks on every page, this can be dangerous and can lead to hacking attacks on to your computer, even without you r awareness. The hackers could retrieve all kind of information from your computer and shut it down all against your will, just because one did not pay attention to safe surfing. Even the Digitale Schultasche lacks of the awarness of a secure workingspace. It only contains Firefox as a browser and Thunderbird as a mailing service, which I will explain later on.
There are many programs which can help you to prevent and to recover your computer once it is infected. In this topic I want to give a brief introduction into computer safety.
Lets start at the basics, how to secure your computer.
If you use Microsoft Windows, they will be a security center preinstalled, which includes a defender, a firewall and an update service. These tools are the very first steps on a quite big ladder.
One can teach the students with the help of the interactive whiteboard and give them the opportunity to learn to work with a computer. But I experienced that many students use the internet without being aware of the possible problems and dangers like mal-ware (Trojans, Viruses,...).
One leaves trace marks on every page, this can be dangerous and can lead to hacking attacks on to your computer, even without you r awareness. The hackers could retrieve all kind of information from your computer and shut it down all against your will, just because one did not pay attention to safe surfing. Even the Digitale Schultasche lacks of the awarness of a secure workingspace. It only contains Firefox as a browser and Thunderbird as a mailing service, which I will explain later on.
There are many programs which can help you to prevent and to recover your computer once it is infected. In this topic I want to give a brief introduction into computer safety.
Lets start at the basics, how to secure your computer.
If you use Microsoft Windows, they will be a security center preinstalled, which includes a defender, a firewall and an update service. These tools are the very first steps on a quite big ladder.
_1) Security Center:
If you start up the Security Center for the first time, you should update it immediately. After you have updated it, you should switch the settings, from automatic updating to manual. This allows you to control the programs, which windows wants to update almost every day on their own. The problem with that is, that you slow down your internet speed in times you might need it and you do not know, what windows is updating. You should choose wisely what you need and which programs can be neglected.
For example:
Outlook is a program, which is updated constantly and is a big threat for your safety, because male-ware (trojans and others software, which want to harm your computer) can get access to your computer through Outlook easily. So one is advised not to use it or switch to the saver version Thunderbird by Firefox. So select your updates manual specific to your needs.
If you start up the Security Center for the first time, you should update it immediately. After you have updated it, you should switch the settings, from automatic updating to manual. This allows you to control the programs, which windows wants to update almost every day on their own. The problem with that is, that you slow down your internet speed in times you might need it and you do not know, what windows is updating. You should choose wisely what you need and which programs can be neglected.
For example:
Outlook is a program, which is updated constantly and is a big threat for your safety, because male-ware (trojans and others software, which want to harm your computer) can get access to your computer through Outlook easily. So one is advised not to use it or switch to the saver version Thunderbird by Firefox. So select your updates manual specific to your needs.
_2) The defender:
The Defender is a program, which tries to remove male-ware from your computer. Because it is designed by Microsoft it does not find the male-ware programmed by Microsoft. So I would suggest getting a better program, for example Ad-aware, Spybot (which are freewares) or Kasperspy just to name a good program which costs.
Lets assume you chose Spybot; after the installation you should run a scan of your hard drive. It will find a couple of spy-wares or mal-wares, even if your system is brand-new. Follow the steps given by the program to remove the spyware.
Now you can set up a backup data on an external hard drive.
Spybot also includes a helpful program called tea-timer, which shields your computer off to known harmful WebPages and intruders. Tea-Timer will run hidden in the background all the time.
It will work as a second small firewall to your standard one by Windows.
The Defender is a program, which tries to remove male-ware from your computer. Because it is designed by Microsoft it does not find the male-ware programmed by Microsoft. So I would suggest getting a better program, for example Ad-aware, Spybot (which are freewares) or Kasperspy just to name a good program which costs.
Lets assume you chose Spybot; after the installation you should run a scan of your hard drive. It will find a couple of spy-wares or mal-wares, even if your system is brand-new. Follow the steps given by the program to remove the spyware.
Now you can set up a backup data on an external hard drive.
Spybot also includes a helpful program called tea-timer, which shields your computer off to known harmful WebPages and intruders. Tea-Timer will run hidden in the background all the time.
It will work as a second small firewall to your standard one by Windows.
Image source: http://www.freeware-download.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/avira.png
_
3) Get a virus-program:
An easy antivirus program is Anti-Vir, which is also a freeware and is one of the best programs considering effectiveness vs. using not a lot of random access memory (RAM), in other words it does not slow down your computer, like others do, which can be safer on the other hand.
Keep Anti-Vir updated all the time and allow it to update itself, in order to give you the best protection for your computer.
3) Get a virus-program:
An easy antivirus program is Anti-Vir, which is also a freeware and is one of the best programs considering effectiveness vs. using not a lot of random access memory (RAM), in other words it does not slow down your computer, like others do, which can be safer on the other hand.
Keep Anti-Vir updated all the time and allow it to update itself, in order to give you the best protection for your computer.
_4) Keep the number one spy, Microsoft out of your computer.
Microsoft is very fond of any information you give them. They want to know what music you are listening to and what WebPages you go to frequently.
In order to keep them out you have to do two things.
4.1) First you have to install a different browser, for example Mozilla Firefox, because one can select many helpful features and add-ons with this kind of browser.
Sidenote: A helpful add-on is ABP (Adblock Plus), which disables auto-scripts on WebPages. This means that no video, music or any kind of cache/cookies will be downloaded onto your computer without you allowing it.
4.2) The second thing you might need to download onto your computer is XP Antispy. XP Antispy is a small program written to suppress any autorun program by Microsoft you do not want. Caution, this program is a little bit more advanced; fiddling with the settings could disable some feature you might like or need. On the other hand it will speed up your computer and keep the most programs out of your system.
But no program can prevent and secure your computer better than yourself, by surfing responsible through the internet and staying off any page that looks shady and suspicious.
Programs that keep your computer running and clean are ccleaner and Tune-up Utilities for example. But this is another topic.
Have fun and be safe!
Microsoft is very fond of any information you give them. They want to know what music you are listening to and what WebPages you go to frequently.
In order to keep them out you have to do two things.
4.1) First you have to install a different browser, for example Mozilla Firefox, because one can select many helpful features and add-ons with this kind of browser.
Sidenote: A helpful add-on is ABP (Adblock Plus), which disables auto-scripts on WebPages. This means that no video, music or any kind of cache/cookies will be downloaded onto your computer without you allowing it.
4.2) The second thing you might need to download onto your computer is XP Antispy. XP Antispy is a small program written to suppress any autorun program by Microsoft you do not want. Caution, this program is a little bit more advanced; fiddling with the settings could disable some feature you might like or need. On the other hand it will speed up your computer and keep the most programs out of your system.
But no program can prevent and secure your computer better than yourself, by surfing responsible through the internet and staying off any page that looks shady and suspicious.
Programs that keep your computer running and clean are ccleaner and Tune-up Utilities for example. But this is another topic.
Have fun and be safe!