With more and more people working from home, keeping your personal computer safe and secure is essential. There is always somebody out there who wants to get your information and data. So here are five (5) things to look at to protect your computer when working from home.

It is hard not to be paranoid about your computer's security at home. You hear about all the ways that the bad guys can get access to your data. But with a few simple changes, you can harden the security of your personal computer.

E-mail

E-mail is the most popular way for the bad guys to get access to you. They will try to infect your computer with a malicious attachment or get you to a compromised website to get your information. Sometimes they want you to respond to their e-mail with your personal information.

Either way, e-mail is currently the largest source of attacks and scams. But there are some simple things you can do to protect yourself. The first thing you want to examine is how you view your e-mail.

Now e-mail can be written using two (2) different formats: plain text (like in a .TXT file) or HTML (like the code used for websites). Plain text e-mail has no special formatting, but HTML e-mail can.

Just like malicious websites can have hidden code that can download and install malware, adware, and viruses, so can malicious HTML formatted e-mail. There is no difference between the two.

So, just like if you went to a malicious website and viewed an infected web page with a malware payload, displaying a malicious HTML formatted e-mail has the same effect.

The best way to avoid downloading the contents of an HTML formatted e-mail is by not using the preview feature in your mail program. Most of them, like Outlook and Thunderbird, can turn off the preview pane. If the HTML formatted e-mail can not be rendered, it cannot execute the code inside.

Remember that if you do not know or recognize the person or company that sent you a questionable e-mail, delete it. It is not worth the trouble a malicious e-mail can cause to see what is in the e-mail.

While on the subject of malicious e-mail, knowing how to spot a piece of junk mail is essential. I go into more detail on how to do it in the following article I wrote a little while back.

How to spot a piece of spam e-mail

There is another option when it comes to e-mail security, and that is using an anti-spam program. Since I get hundreds of e-mails daily, I started using the anti-spam program MailWasher almost two decades ago. It is perfect for getting rid of junk mail.

For more information on MailWasher, check out this article I wrote a couple of years ago. They have a paid version and a free version.

Eliminate spam from your inbox with MailWasher 7.5

Tech scams

Tech scams have lost their popularity with bad guys. Is it because consumers are getting smarter and not falling for them anymore? But you still get them occasionally, so here is a link to an article about avoiding them.

How to handle a tech scam

The bottom line is, don't give them any information; whatever you do, do not provide them access to your computer!

Software updates

Many people don't apply updates to Windows and other programs because they fear the upgrades will break the software. Yes, it does happen occasionally, but only sometimes.

I have had my fair share of repairing computers that have experienced a failed update. But more often than not, updates install flawlessly. With all software manufacturers' testing for updates, a failed upgrade is rare.

However, recovering from a virus or malware infection that could have been prevented by applying software updates can be expensive. It's embarrassing, too.

Then, there is the use of an operating system, like Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 that has reached its end-of-life and no longer gets security updates. I get the "I just like the way it works" or "My software won't run on the latest version of Windows" arguments.

I have found solutions to those arguments, and many like them. When there is a will, there is a way. But running unpatched software is just way too dangerous. Bite the bullet and apply updates or upgrade your software.

Anti-virus software

This is another piece of software you have to keep an eye on. The biggest problem I encounter is expired anti-virus licenses. Customers will get a new computer with preloaded anti-virus software with a 30 or 60-day trial license.

When the trial license expires, they ignore the pop-ups telling them about the expired license. Luckily, Windows 10 has a highly rated anti-virus program (Windows Security) built-in. It will usually take over when a trial anti-virus license expires.

Typically when I set up a new computer for a customer, I ask them what they want to do about anti-virus software. Most of them tell me to remove the pre-loaded trial version of anti-virus software.

If they don't prefer a particular anti-virus program, I have them go to an independent, third-party website like AV Test and check the ratings for the different anti-virus software.

Many people are surprised that Microsoft's Windows Defender / Windows Security is rated so high. Microsoft has worked hard over the years to improve its anti-virus software.

Now, the cool thing is even if you have installed another company's anti-virus software on Windows 10, Windows Security will see it and set it as the default. But you can still have Windows Security do periodic scans.

Routers

This security tip may or may not affect you. If you lease your router from your Internet Service Provider (ISP), this topic is irrelevant to you. If you own your router, this will be of interest to you.

Home Internet routers have always been a target for the bad guys. There are two reasons for that: First is the fact that home users usually keep the default administrator password the same. Luckily, router manufacturers started installing complicated default passwords a few years ago.

The second reason is that once people set up their routers, they tend not to think about them anymore until something goes wrong. As I like to call it, the set it and forget it syndrome.

Just like I discussed updating software earlier in this article, your router also has software that gets updated. It is called firmware, the operating system for your router. Think of it as what Windows is to your computer; the firmware is to your router.

The problem is that your router's firmware is not automatically updated. You have to do this manually. Sometimes, it can be hard to determine what version of firmware your router is running, if there is an updated version of firmware for your router, and how to upgrade the firmware of your router.

The first step is to log into your router and find out what version of firmware it is running. It is usually listed right on the first screen. From there, you go to the manufacturer's website and find the product page for your router. What you are going to need is the manual for your router.

An effortless way to find it is by just searching on Google. Search for the manufacturer model manual, and the product page for your router should be in the top three (3) results. Once you have the manual, you can search it for Firmware Update, and it should explain where to go inside your router to look for and upload a new version of the firmware.

Now that we have looked at the router's firmware let's look at your router's security. The bad guys regularly scan an ISP's range of IP (Internet Protocol) addresses, looking for open ports to attack. An IP address is a unique string of numbers that identifies each device on the Internet.

We now want to check and see if your router has any open ports that the bad guys can use to access your router or any of the devices inside your network. For this, we want to do an unintrusive scan of your router's service ports.

Gibson Research Corporation has a fantastic tool for doing this called ShieldsUp!. Just go over to the website, and under the Services pull-down, you will find ShieldsUp.

Once you get to the ShieldsUp! page click on the Proceed button. From there, you can select from several different types of scans. I recommend the All Service Ports scan.

Once the scan is complete, the webpage will display the scan results. If you score a perfect rating, you are good to go. The webpage will tell you what to do if any ports require attention.

With the increasing amount of spam flooding into our inboxes daily, it's essential to be able to discern between legitimate e-mails and spam. Spam e-mails can be annoying, deceptive, and even dangerous. Identifying and handling spam e-mails can help protect your personal information and keep your inbox clutter-free. Here are some tips on how to spot a piece of spam e-mail.

When it comes to spam, I like to break them down into three (3) groups:

• Junk: Just straightforward advertising
• Phishing: Trying to get personal information, like login credentials
• Malicious: Meant to deliver some kind of payload, usually file-encrypting malware

Of all three types of spam e-mail, malicious is the most dangerous, but phishing is the most popular. With the progress in security over the years, malicious spam with attachments has decreased. Scammers now want a quick payday, and bank credentials and gift cards are just a couple of ways they try to get your money. But if you take the time to look at a questionable e-mail, you will be able to determine whether it is or is not spam. Let's look at the different areas of an e-mail.

The From line

The sender's e-mail address (From line) is one of the first things to look at when determining if an e-mail is spam. Legitimate companies will usually have domain-specific e-mail addresses, such as @companyname.com. If the e-mail comes from an unfamiliar or suspicious domain, it's likely to be spam. Additionally, be wary of e-mail addresses that contain long strings of random characters or misspelled variations of well-known domains.

The From line can be easily faked, and you can check it quickly by hovering your cursor over the From line.

Do you know the sender? Do you now or in the past done business with that company? If you answered no to both questions, it is probably spam. Also, look for e-mail addresses from domains that provide free e-mail addresses (gmail.com, yahoo.com, etc.) or end with a two-letter extension (@com.uk, @com.ru, etc.). Two-letter extensions are for domains outside America.

Another tactic spammers use is impersonating legitimate companies or individuals. They may use logos, branding, or language that closely resembles that of real organizations to trick recipients into thinking the e-mail is genuine. If you receive an e-mail that claims to be from a familiar company but seems off in any way, it's best to verify the source (phone call) before taking any action.

The To line

This line should contain just your e-mail address. If multiple e-mail addresses are listed, do you recognize any other e-mail addresses? If you don't, it could be spam. And if this line is blank, the odds are it's spam.

The Subject line

Another red flag to look out for is the Subject line of the e-mail. Spam e-mails often use sensational or urgent language to entice you to open them. Phrases like "urgent action required" or "you've won a prize" are common in spam Subject lines. If the Subject line seems too good to be true or overly dramatic, it's best to err on the side of caution and consider it potential spam.

When it comes to the Subject line, if it doesn't sound right, it's not. Spam from other countries is quite often full of grammatical errors. Always remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The odds are that the anti-virus/service contract renewal invoice is bogus and that the e-fax scan from a Xerox WorkCentre (notice the spelling) or notice to appear in court that is attached is just a virus.

The e-mail body

The message in the body of the e-mail usually tries to get you scared or angry, and they want to use your emotions against you. But the first thing to remember is do not call any phone number or click on any links in a panic. That is just what they want you to do. Take your time and read the e-mail carefully.

Furthermore, scrutinize the content of the e-mail. Many spam e-mails are rife with spelling and grammatical errors and may contain strange formatting. Legitimate companies usually take care to ensure their e-mails are well-written and professional. If you notice oddities in the language or formatting of an e-mail, it could be a sign that it's spam.

For those spam e-mails that tell you that your bank account has been charged for something you did not order, do not call any phone number listed in the message. As I wrote in the How to handle a tech scam article, the scammer's primary goal is to get your money.

If the e-mail states that you need to verify your login credentials, do not click on the link they put in the e-mail. They are just phishing for your personal information. You can check where the link points to by hovering your cursor over it without clicking.

Chrome displays the URLs at the bottom of the browser

Outlook displays URLs next to the link

If you want to be reassured that a particular e-mail is spam, use your usual way of accessing that resource (bank website, credit card website, phone number, etc.). Remember that credit and debit cards usually have a toll-free phone number on the back.

Attachments

Links and attachments in e-mails can also be indicators of spam. Hover your mouse over any links in the e-mail (without clicking on them) to see the actual URL. If the link doesn't match the purported destination or appears suspicious, it's likely a phishing attempt. Similarly, unsolicited attachments in e-mails should be treated with caution, as they may contain malware or other harmful content.

Never open attachments from people you do not personally know. Never. If you receive a questionable e-mail from someone you know but were not expecting, contact them directly (via phone call) and verify they sent you the e-mail with the attachment.

Scammers are notorious for adding fake file extensions to attachments to get you to open them. They know that most e-mail programs hide the extensions of attachments. So what they do is name a malicious file as something like OpenMe.pdf.exe, and the e-mail program will only display OpenMe.pdf.

In some cases, legitimate e-mails may end up in the spam folder due to aggressive filtering by e-mail providers. Therefore, periodically checking your spam folder for misplaced e-mails is essential. However, please exercise caution when reviewing the contents of the spam folder, as it may contain actual spam e-mails alongside legitimate ones.

To further protect yourself from spam, consider implementing spam filters and using a reputable anti-virus program. These tools can help reduce the influx of spam and prevent malicious content from reaching your inbox. You may also consider using an anti-spam program like Mailwasher.

In conclusion, identifying spam e-mails is crucial for maintaining a secure and organized inbox. By paying attention to the sender's e-mail address, subject line, content, links, and attachments, you can effectively spot and avoid falling victim to spam e-mails. Remember to stay vigilant and skeptical when interacting with unfamiliar e-mails, and don't hesitate to report suspected spam to your e-mail provider.