Preparing Your Computer

Working on the Internet can be easy or incredibly time-consuming, depending on your connection speed.  And unfortunately, the Internet has its share of troublemakers.  It is very foolish to believe that they will never find you.  They will.  They will find you so quickly that it will probably shock you.

To save your valuable time, and to prevent your valuable files from being destroyed, there are some things that you simply must do in order to make life on the Internet pleasant.  Most of these are things that you have probably heard before.  Perhaps there are a few that you haven't.  Please carefully consider all of the suggestions that follow.  (There is more that can be done, too.  What we have listed here should be considered a minimum.)

Antivirus Software.  A "virus" (and its cousins, the "worm" and the "Trojan horse")  is a malicious computer program that is designed to enter your computer in a stealthy manner.  The program may attempt to spread itself to other computers, destroy your files and operating system, gain control of your system or allow another user to gain control, or all of these!

Antivirus software is no longer considered to be optional by anyone who is serious about protecting their files.  The software is inexpensive and invaluable.  You must install this software and keep it updated -- it should be updated a minimum of once a week.  (Some programs have a handy automatic update feature.)  And turn on the option that allows the software to scan all files that open (this may be called "Real Time Scan" or something similar).  This can immediately shut down an infected file before it has a chance to do any damage.

You also need to virus-scan your computer about once a week.  Sometimes viruses are too new for your antivirus software to detect them initially, but they may detect it later when you scan.  Get in the habit of scanning on a regular basis.  Some antivirus programs can be set to do this automatically for you.

Occasionally, it's a good idea to scan your computer with one of the free on-line virus scanners offered by antivirus software manufacturers.  Use a different virus scanner than the one you have installed on your computer -- sometimes one scanner can find a virus that would be missed by a different scanner.  (DO NOT install two different antivirus programs on your computer at the same time -- that can cause trouble!)

Firewall.  If you have an always-on Internet connection, you should strongly consider this.  Firewalls can prevent unauthorized people from gaining access to your computer through the Internet.  There are those who will try to read or destroy your files, who will try to take control of your machine and use it for an attack on another computer, or who will try something that we haven't even imagined yet.  A firewall can stop intrusions by other computers.  Some can even make your machine "invisible," so that the other computer doesn't even know it's there.

The firewall can also stop unauthorized information from leaving your computer, such as when a virus tries to multiply, or when spyware (see below) tries to contact its home site.

Anti-Spyware Software.  "Spyware" is software which may send information about you and/or your computer back to the company who created it.  Or, it may load advertisements onto your computer -- you may find popup ads appearing on your screen at random times, even when you're not connected to the Internet.  Spyware can actually slow down your computer and hinder its performance, even causing your computer to crash.  The periodic clearing of spyware from your computer is a good idea.

Update your operating system.  Be certain that you have downloaded and installed all updates from your operating system manufacturer.  (This will be Microsoft if you have a Windows machine, Apple if you have a Macintosh, etc.)  Often, the updates are to correct security problems in the system.  Don't be lazy about adding the updates -- often, unscrupulous people will try to exploit the security problem before the update can be added.

Back up your files on a regular basis.  It doesn't take that long.  An incredible amount of files can be burned on CDs in a short period of time.  Consider this: it will take you a lot of time and effort to build your web site.  How would you like to have to rebuild it from the beginning because a virus or a hard drive crash wiped it out, and you couldn't be bothered to take 5 minutes to back up your files?  Believe me, it will take a LOT longer than 5 minutes to rebuild your site.  (I have heard of a hard drive crash being compared to an airplane crash.  It doesn't happen often -- but when it does, it does a lot of damage.

Get the fastest Internet connection that you can afford.  In order to run an awards program, you're probably going to be on the Internet a lot.  If it's available in your area, consider a DSL or cable modem or satellite connection -- anything that is faster than a dial-up modem.  It can save you hours or days of time.  And how much is your time worth?