On Tuesday, February 15, 2011, at 6:30 p.m., I will teach another mini-class on computer/Internet security at our local library. It is one night only, and will last about two hours. If you use a computer, you should attend. Visit www.pioneer.lib.ok.us/nortop or call the library at 701-2697 to register.
On that night, I will lead you deep into the creepy underworld of the Internet and show you how to defeat the Internet bad guys. Seating at my class is limited, so register now. It’s a newly-revised class that is lots of fun.
In the class, I discuss updating your computer, which is one of the critical things you must tend to in order to have a happy computing experience. Updating your computer’s operating system and various programs is not optional, it is mandatory. Sure, it may be annoying and a bit of a hassle, but it’s a lot less annoying than paying a computer guy like me to repair your virus-wrecked PC. This goes for Apple Mac computers, too.
The reason for all of this updating is that the Internet bad guys are constantly trying to pick apart popular programs that people use every day. They are looking for new ways to infect computers with viruses and, ultimately, steal your money. Software manufacturers like Microsoft are always on the lookout for newly-discovered flaws in their programs that the bad guys can exploit. When new flaws are found, they issue patches and updates that hopefully correct the situation.
It is your responsibility, though, to see to it that these patches and updates are actually installed on your computer. Sometimes, the term “automatic update” doesn’t really mean what you think. The list of programs needing frequent updating comes as a surprise to many people. Most people have programs installed they don’t even know about, such as Adobe Flash, Java and Adobe Reader, yet they use them all the time. These programs need updating every bit as much as Windows, iTunes and Microsoft Office.
If this all seems a bit overwhelming, despair not; a nifty little program called Secunia PSI is here to help.
Secunia PSI (Personal Software Inspector) is a free security tool designed to detect vulnerable and out-dated programs which expose your computer to attacks. Attacks exploiting vulnerable programs are rarely blocked by traditional antivirus programs and are therefore increasingly popular among criminals.
I first recommended using Secunia PSI back in December, 2008, but improvements in the new version of PSI make it well worth exchanging for the old one. I did this recently on a laptop that I seldom use, one which had not been updated in quite some time. This was a laptop running Windows Vista, but Secunia PSI will work on computers running XP and 7, as well. Here’s how it’s done.
Go to secunia.com and click on “Download PSI” in the upper right-hand corner. Download and save the “PSISetup.exe.” file anywhere you like on your hard drive. Locate and double-click on the downloaded file. Follow the instructions and use the default settings to install the program.
When installation is complete, tell the program to launch. The program will begin scanning your computer for installed programs and whether updates are available. This can take a while the first time around, so be patient. After the scan completes, you’ll see a small window listing the results. Close the small window and click on “Scan results” in the upper left-hand corner.
My seldom-used laptop showed a number of things that needed fixing, including Adobe Shockwave Player, Adobe Reader, Windows, Office and Firefox. On the right side of the screen was a list of “Solutions,” some of which started running automatically and some which I needed to do myself.
Click on the big, green “Auto” button on the left to learn more about auto-updating. While not perfect, Secunia PSI’s auto-updating feature works well enough to make it easy for you to stay on top of your updating chores.
Using Secunia PSI should make you (and me) very glad and the bad guys very sad. Semper vigilans.