MTA On Line Self Help Page

How can I protect myself?

Believe it or not, there's a ton of stuff you can to to ensure your computer gives you years of trouble free service. The three biggest things you can do are:

1. Use the Three Teir Approach.

2. Always keep your important information backed up.

3. Update your software on a regular basis.

Prevention and preparation is the best way to protect your computer and any important information.  As we mentioned in the first article of this section:

1. There is no one single answer to today's threats.  We highly recommended you use a three tier approach;
   • Tier I - Use a Filtering Service that will stop virus's before they get to your machine. Click here for more information
   • Tier II - User a Filtering Service that will stop virus's after they get to your machine.  Click Here for more information
   • Tier III - User common sense. 
     • Don't open any attachment from somebody you don't know.
     • Don't download or install programs that may come from unreliable sources.
2. Always keep a backup of your important documents on a CD, away from the computer.  That way,  if you are tagged by a Virus and lose your hard drive, the impact (although a nuisance) is minimal. 
3. You should also keep in mind, that no plan or service is 100% guaranteed to protect you from virus's.  There is a window (usually hours but sometimes days) between the time a new virus is launched and the Antivirus Engineers become aware of it then develop a defense against it. That window is often expanded by users who do not update their software on a regular basis  It's during these times, Internet Users are most susceptible.
4. Be sure to update your antivirus program on a regular basis. Most Antivirus programs are very user friendly and setting an automatic update (say for example, every 24 hours at 2am) is very easy to do.
5. More ways include don't install free software unless you are 100% sure about the reliability of the site or friend offereing it.
6. Always scan software before installing it.
7. Always read the "Fine Print" before even downloading any software. If you see anything that refers to monitoring browsing sessions or collecting information, this is your “red flag” that you might be installing Spyware.
8. At the very least, research software titles before installing.  www.google.com 's newsgroups are an excellent source.  Chances are, there are at least 1,000 other people that have installed the program before you did.  They might have some suggestions or input.
9. Keep ALL of your software updated.  Updates are not limited to your Firewall or Antivirus programs.  Other programs (including operating systems such as Windows) are constantly finding and patching security holes.  

The Team

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