Information and communication technology, ICT, has changed much throughout the years and is constantly evolving to enrich our lives with its potential. The internet makes available a wealth of information and services from all around the world to everyone at the click of a button.

However, every good thing has its flaws and the internet is no different. The exponential growth in internet use exposes users to potential threats such as computer viruses and hackers that can mine personal information such as bank account details, access private emails and commit other cyber crimes such as the exploitation of children. One way of fighting off these dangers is by committing to cyber safety and security.

Anti-virus software helps to detect and remove computer viruses and other malicious programmes such as worms and trojans. The public are reminded to always remember to install anti-virus software in their computers – the anti-virus protection should be in use at all times, anti-virus software should be updated regularly, the computer should always be scanned after updating an anti-virus programme and the computer should be scanned regularly. As new viruses are being introduced on the internet almost everyday, users should ensure that their anti-virus software is always updated using the ‘live update’ feature to automatically check for updates.

A firewall is a software or hardware designed to block hackers from accessing your computer. It monitors communications between the computer and the network, and blocks unauthorised connections to the computer. A firewall can also block programmes residing in a person’s computer from sending out information to the internet without his approval. Users are also advised to always remember to install a firewall on their computer or home network; the firewall should be configured to prevent or block other computers on the internet from accessing the computer, the firewall should be configured to stop information in the computer from being sent out to the internet without the owner’s approval and the computer should be scanned periodically to check for security vulnerabilities.

Users should not open an email that has a suspicious title especially when they do not know the sender. Emails are commonly used to disseminate viruses, worms and trojans. Be very careful of acting on the contents of the email and opening files attached to an unknown sender. Such emails may be frauds or scams. Always scan all email attachments for viruses before opening them. Delete the email if the subject title appears suspicious or strange, even if the email is from someone you know. The person may have sent a virus unintentionally. Never open email attachments with file extensions as they are often used to propagate viruses.

Source:-http://www.rtbnews.rtb.gov.bn/?c=newsDetail&news_id=16220