4.)
BIZ*TECH SAVVY SOLUTIONS
_____________________
Keep All
Your Other Stuff Updated
Regular readers
of this Newsletter probably know that they must keep their Windows and
security software up to date at all times. But what about all the
other stuff we have on our computers? It must be updated as well.
This can be a real chore keeping everything up to date and staying
safe on today’s Internet.
Not any more.
You are going to use a nice, quick tool to check what needs updating
on your PC, and then to actually (and easily) update it. But before
we begin you should see if you have multiple copies of the same
program, especially Adobe Flash Player and Sun Java JRE. Neither
program removes old copies when installing new ones, or updates.
In Windows XP,
click Start, Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs. In Vista, click
Start, Control Panel, Programs and Features. If you have more than
one copy of Adobe or Java, keep the latest one with the highest update
or version number. Delete the others by clicking the Remove button.
Note that Adobe Flash Player is not the same animal as Adobe Reader.
Now go to
http://secunia.com/software_inspector/ Click Start Now. Choose
the default or thorough inspection, and click Start. When the
inspection is finished, you will get a list of programs that are not
up to date, and therefore potentially dangerous. Follow the links to
update each program. You will likely need Administrator privileges to
do this, so be sure you are using your main, Administrator account.
Some updates will
restart your browser. If you lose your results page, just run the
Inspector again. Watch the process closely. Certain updates will
install toolbars on your computer, unless you deselect this option.
Bookmark the Secunia home page, and run the Inspector once a month or
so.
-----
Syd Tash is a noted computer security
consultant and author of
How to Protect Your Computer Online. He has been keeping
Internet surfers safe and secure since the last century. Find out
how he does it; protect your own computer with five layers of
protection right here: =>
http://mypcsecuritysite.com
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