Hello LiHD Families!

As the summer marches on I just noticed my LiHD "in laws of the West" (aka The Calandros!) just did a reinstall of their laptop! (John, did I see that tweet right?)

Anyhow folks, I've been programming since 1993. I've been fighting viruses since 1993. A virus is a program doing bad things, recall Microsoft used to identify Netscape and Google Chrome as "malware" and no I'm not kidding. Thankfully the world has matured ever so slightly.

Yes it is true, there are viruses so virulent and malicious it takes nothing but a kill all and let's start again to recover. They do exist.

However, prevention is worth TERABYTES of cure.

Be very vigilant of all the websites you use, WHERE you download software and most importantly who is in your social network (like email! as in your CONTACTS). Viruses were not designed to be malicious, well, the first internet virus was a test that just worked too well.

It is very hard to fight virus writers because they too have a game plan, a technology road map and sadly there are plenty of loopholes in the software we own for them to come at us.

1. Beef up your operating system. Mac users, you are not immune. Be VIGILANT!

2. Run more than one type of defense but not two of the same type. Read that again if you must. AntiVirus, check. AntiMalware, check. FireWall, check. Encryption, check. Anti Zero Hour Attack, check. Software backup recovery plan, check.

3. Having lived life as a community builder, emergency planning is par for the course. Whether it is fire, flood, hurricane, blizzard, always have a plan. If you have a TOUGHBOOK, always have a plan.

4. Note "irregular" "behaviors" in your software and hardware. You could be a beta tester for some malicious coders next big virus: Yikes! (Correct, you don't want to beta test their stuff!)

5. Arm yourself with the only power that counts: Knowledge!

I am here if anyone needs help and we should have a TOUGHBOOK area (LIKE this thread) for all us Panasonic users to unite and connect.

Kairy Walker
facebook.com/kairy
myspace.com/ikamoto
twitter.com/remixcity
LivingInHD.com/remixcity

Thanks for the advice. I try to stay Vigilant, but I have a lot of college friends who have me fix their comps because they aren't so vigilant! Awesome advice!

EXACTLY J. THat IS EXACTLY what I do plus some other things if you want to get Truly Nerdtastically Geeky.

I do that and because I know my way in and out of the Microsoft Architecture (I almost worked for them! Hey Redmond!) I know where all the hospots are. I hacked my windows 3.1, 95 and so on all the way to XP.

I avoided VISTA and still recommend all to just go to Windows 7 if XP is annoying you. I still run XP because all my schooling (read all my life's work, so far!) is invested in it so I'll upgrade at Windows 8 or 9 LOL.

The key is not everyone needs to devote their lives to this. Microsoft (and Apple!) used to use marketing and PR to pretend they are "secure". Any honest IT person will tell you absolute security is absolute fiction. That's why I support the Air Force Cyber Command, it's a discipline, just like martial arts.

Everyone needs Self Defense. Tae kwon do, karate, kung fu, jujitsu, mixed martial arts, boxing, kickboxing, yoga, tai chi, ballet, gymnastics, fencing, wrestling, lacrosse whatever it is you feel comfortable with (mace, keys to the eyeballs) do what works.

Staples and other places offer FREE computer optimization. As a lifelong IT guy, you have no idea how proud I am of them Office Depot and some others. Be sure whoever does your IT support is someone you have no problem suing.

Most of my IT experience was fixing something some "IT guy" supposedly fixed. O man, what are their credentials? Yes, even some BRILLIANT IT people have no people skills, and no, I don't mean geeks and nerds like me, i mean opinionated, arrogant, do what i say or don't ask me for advice types. I know they exist, some ppl even think i am one, until I help them.

I have the Service Excellence awards to prove it but i don't need that now do I? i hope not ;-)

Also, be wary about naming what exact programs you use. It is great to share but if I told you my bulletproof limousine didn't have run flat tires then...

Does everyone need to be paranoid? No, go outside, jump off a cliff or out of an airplane, dive without scuba gear, eat lethal amounts of chocolate live on global TV, just know that just because you exist, you are a target.

No te preocupes, se felliz.

Don't worry, be happy!

 

 

Jul 12, 2010 -- 6:03PM, Cameron wrote:

Thanks for the advice. I try to stay Vigilant, but I have a lot of college friends who have me fix their comps because they aren't so vigilant! Awesome advice!

Why am I not surprised Cameron? I was a mechanical engineering student (for 6 glorious years)  until I realized this too! Keep rocking it!

It is called software ENGINEERING for a reason, what's your major and stuff?

Thanks for the reminder not to list spcific programs we're using (after the fact in my case!) totally makes sense- now I'll have to rotate some new defense programs in!