Protection Against Threats

According to Microsoft Corporation “The best way to treat a cold or a virus is to avoid catching it in the first place.” (Microsoft, 2009) Protecting yourself from viruses is difficult; however with awareness you can help keep your computer as well as others around you protected. The following is a list of utilities designed to protect you. Anti-virus programs immunize your system to prevent viral infection. According to PC World Magazine the top rated internet protection suite is the Norton Internet Security Suite 2009 which rated two points higher than Bit defender Internet Security 2009 which ranked at number two. (Larkin, 2009) Windows Firewall prevents remote users from unauthorized access to your system. Windows updates checks for and downloads patches for your operating system in order to avoid exposure to known vulnerabilities. Office updates checks for and downloads patches for your office suite of applications. The Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer checks for security vulnerabilities in your system such as, patches, weak passwords, etc. Windows defender will scan your system for spyware and/or malware. System restore creates restore points to safeguard your data and give you the ability to restore your system to a previous date. The ntbackup utility backs up your system data to external source. Awareness helps to keep you and others around you safe. (Microsoft, 2009)