Computer security is a growing concern these days with more and more computers being attacked, infected and compromised on a daily basis.

 

Such attacks include: Social engineering, malware, spyware, ransomware, viruses, keyloggers rootkits, and operating system or application software exploits that have not been patched yet. At LinQu we want you and your family to be safe, part of being safe is becoming aware of how this type of software is installed on your computer ( via Social engineering or Software exploitation) , and the methods attackers use pick targets, collect or gather personal data from you and or gain access to your devices.

​

Strange phone calls or emails from recognized companies claiming they need your personal information or that they need access to your computer are WARNING signs (if a company emails you and you are unaware of the request, call the legitimate company ( by doing a quick google search for the companies legitimate home page) first to clarify authenticity of the email before downloading any attachments. If someone calls you and asks you for personal information, like an email address, usernames, or passwords, DO NOT! give any of this information to them. A customer support representative will never call you to ask you for that kind of information. Ask the representative for the companies name they are employed by, the representatives name and their employee ID number, then tell them you will call the company back to validate the authenticity of their call. These types of attacks are called phishing attacks and usually are performed by someone who tries to impersonate an employee to trick a victim into installing something on their computer, giving them remote access, or to giving them information that will enable the attacker to impersonate you or one of your loved ones to gain access to yours, your family or friends accounts.

 

Understanding how malicious software can be installed on your computer and the software needed to check your device for infection will help you be prepared for what ever a black hat hacker might throw at you.

​

Please note: An Anti-Virus application DOESN'T make your computer/devices invincible to all viruses or other malicious software, some malware can still get past even the best AV software on the market; even in 2018 unfortunately. It's best to think of Anti-Virus applications as safety nets and not as an all-in-one solution to your security concerns. before installing more than one AV application just google to see if the new AV app you are thinking of installing is compatible with your existing AV application as Bitdefender and Kaspersky can not be installed on the same computer without conflicts in performance. Lastly be sure to check for updates regularly as new malicious code is being discovered hourly and AV's companies are always sending new virus signatures to check for. 

 

At LinQu pride ourselves on security and want the same for our customers your privacy is important.

​

• ANTI-VIRUS

 

An AntiVirus program is the most important software you should look for when owning and using a PC. Protection Software keeps you safe from most malicious attacks. You must remember to keep the software updated for full effectiveness. One click and you can have peace of mind knowing your best friend Mr. Antivirus is taking care of any problems that might be hiding. Some Antivirus software are for example: Bitdefender, Malwarebytes, Kaspersky, AVG, and a whole lot more. We recommend having at least 2 different security applications on your computer since each application is supplied from a different company. Each application will look for things/viruses the other does not and pick up things/viruses the other cant. These applications are supplied updates from the individual companies databases for virus signatures that create and maintain them, having 2 or more will double check that nothing is left behind. NOTE: you may update security application together but DO NOT run a scan from all of them at the same time they may conflict, slow your computer or make it become unresponsive.

 

• MALWARE

 

Examples of malware include viruses, worms, trojan horses, adware, grayware, spyware, ransomware and software exploits.

 

• Viruses: a piece of code which is capable of copying itself and typically has a detrimental effect, such as corrupting the system, destroying data, duplicating files and crashing your PC.

 

• Spyware: will gather data from your system without you knowing it. This can include anything from the Web pages you visit to personal information, such as user names, passwords and credit card information.

 

• Adware: software that automatically displays or downloads advertising material such as banners or pop-ups.

 

• Greyware: malicious software that falls in the "grey area" between normal software and a virus. Greyware is a term used for other malicious or annoying software such as adware and spyware.

 

• Ransomware: a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid.

 

• Root kits aka RATS (Remote Administration Tools): a set of software tools that enable an unauthorized user to gain control of a computer system without being detected.

​

• Software exploitation: An exploit is a piece of software that takes advantage of a bug or vulnerability in a system to cause unintended or unanticipated behavior to occur on computer software, or hardware that may allow an attacker to execute, or run malicious software remotely without needing interaction from the devices user (like clicking on a link or downloading a file and running it) they just get in without you knowing.....scary right!. To avoid this type of attack make sure you keep you devices updated as often as possible. Manufacturers are always finding bugs and vulnerabilities in their software and fix/patch the issues with the latest updates they release frequently.

​

• SECURE NETWORKS

 

Make sure that your SSID (Service Set Identifier) is protected with a reasonable password and proper security settings to secure it from outside users.

(An SSID is the NAME of a wireless local area network (WLAN). For example Telstra1861 or Netgear4000 will be displayed in the available wireless connection menu. All wireless devices must be connected to the same SSID in order to communicate with each other.

 

• PASSWORDS

 

 

Strong passwords are essential, don't use the same password for all your online accounts.

When selecting a password use special characters to increase security and enable two step verification on online accounts when available.

 

A strong password will never repeat the same character more then twice and will never have a special character twice in a row.

 

A strong password will consist of 9 to 64 characters, some systems cant handle that many so just use what you can.

 

Special characters: ~!@#$%^&*().

 

Also include a combination of upper and lowercase characters.

 

NOTE:

​

Never include personally identifiable information such as birthdays, family names, pet names, workplaces or street names. Always have your personal Facebook page set to private and have contact information set to request information.