Discuss the measures you can take to safeguard home computers and devices.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Student responses will vary, but should be drawn from the following information from the text.

Sophisticated cybercriminals take advantage of the fact that most home users employ poor security measures. In fact, one study found that home users are victims of 86 percent of all attacks. Instead of resorting to large-scale attacks affecting thousands of users simultaneously, these criminals develop fraud, data theft, and other wealth-generating schemes affecting individual users. In these cases, the users are forced to be reactive in repairing the damage done. The following measures, however, can help home users become proactive by preventing Internet and network attacks.
• Use routers and firewalls. These devices can help detect suspicious activities by continuously monitoring activity and blocking unauthorized entry into the computer. Antivirus software can help thwart attacks that slip by the firewall.
• Disable macro security settings. Macros are useful to record, save, and then execute a set of keystrokes and instructions repeatedly, and they commonly are found in word processing and spreadsheet files. Macros, however, can be disastrous when hidden in a file and then run without permission. In many office productivity applications, you can change the macro security settings so that macros are executed only with your permission.
• Address software warnings. Be wary of tapping or clicking buttons or security bars that seek permission to download or run a program. If you are suspicious of the authenticity, exit the program or leave the website.
• Keep software updated. Major software companies release software patches to repair known vulnerabilities. Many times, home users could have prevented their attacks if they had updated their software with the available patches.
• Stay informed. News media and technology websites report current security breaches and threats. Seek out these articles and take preventive measures.