By Bob Rankin

The Missing Link in Computer Security

Is your computer really secure? If you have antivirus software, malware scanners and a firewall, you might think you’re safe from hackers, crackers and identity thieves. But chances are, you’re missing one critical piece of the security puzzle. Read on to learn how to secure your software and truly lock down your computer…

Securing Your Software

You may feel safe behind a firewall and anti-virus software. But you’re not. Bad guys can still get to your personal information stored on your computer, and even take over your computer and run it as if it was their own. The gap in your armor? It’s the application software you use every day. Let’s look at just one recent example.

Do you ever read Adobe PDF files, in your browser or with Adobe Reader after downloading? Tens of millions of people do; PDF is one of the most widely used file formats. But unfortunately, hackers have found ways to embed malware in PDF files. New vulnerabilities are discovered in application software every hour, it seems.

Software developers issue patches and updates that close these doors to hackers in a never-ending game of Whack-A-Mole. A vulnerability pops up here, hit it with a patch. Another pops up over there, hit it with another patch. Developers provide the patches, but it’s up to you, the end user, to whack the moles by applying these patches.

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This excerpt is shared with permission from Bob Rankin.

About Bob Rankin

Bob Rankin is a translator for the technology impaired -- a writer and computer programmer who enjoys exploring the Internet and explaining technology in plain English. His work has appeared in Computer World, NY Newsday, and other publications. Bob is also publisher of Internet TOURBUS, author of several computer books, and creator of the Lowfat Linux tutorial.

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