How Security Technology Protects You, Your Computer and Your Wallet

You already know that security technology can help you protect your computer from malicious software and other online threats, but did you know that security technology can also help you keep your finances more secure?

When it comes to financial transactions — shopping, banking, paying bills and booking travel — many adults over 50 are discovering the benefits of going online. Gone are the piles of bank statements you keep meaning to file, because you have instant access to your bank records for deposits, withdrawals, and automatic bill paying. Without leaving home, you can shop the world and have purchases delivered right to your door — or to distant friends and family members.

There are environmental benefits, too. Eliminating stacks of printed statements and catalogs, and cutting the demand for checks, envelopes and postage stamps, means using less energy and fewer trees to make paper.

How to Help Keep Your Online Transactions Safe

But are online shopping, banking, and bill paying really safe? To answer yes, you must be sure of two things:

1. Your retailer or financial institution is protecting you. Only do business online with companies that have https in their URLs. The "s" stands for "secure" and it's your assurance that up-to-date safeguards are in place to protect your personal information and your money. For more information, see Make Your Online Shopping Safe and Hassle-Free.
2. 2. You are protecting your computer. Do everything you can to keep your computer safe by making sure you install and use the latest security technologies:
   • Use a firewall and keep it turned on
   • Keep your operating system updated
   • Install anti-virus software and keep it up to date
   • Install anti-spyware software and keep it up to date

Along with these security fundamentals, other technologies such as phishing filters and spam filters also can help protect you from online scams and potential identity theft that can compromise your finances or damage your credit rating. For more information, see Use Technology to Help You Avoid Online Fraud.

How Does Security Technology Protect Your Computer and Your Money?

Firewalls - A firewall acts as a security checkpoint between the Internet and your computer, making it harder for online attackers and malicious software to get through to steal your personal information or damage your files. Firewalls also help to prevent downloads, updates and modifications to your computer without your permission. Software firewalls are installed directly on your computer, while firewalls in hardware routers and wireless routers protect your network.

To learn more about firewalls and how to choose the ones you need, see What is a Firewall.

Operating System - Your operating system probably includes a few built-in security features. It is also the engine that powers all of your applications, including security software such as anti-phishing filters and anti-spyware programs. Every day, computers are threatened by an ever-changing array of potential intruders and malicious programs. To help protect your computer, make sure your operating system is up to date. The automatic updating services that come with many operating systems can make it easy to stay current by installing the latest security updates on your computer as they become available.

For more information about Automatic Updates, see How to Use Automatic Updates.

Anti-virus Software - Malicious programs like viruses, worms and Trojans can infiltrate your computer and damage the computer and your files — including financial documents, tax records, or e-tickets you may have stored on your computer. You may not notice it until the damage is done, and you can easily spread viruses to other computers through email and over the Internet. Anti-virus software helps to protect your computer by scanning the content that enters your computer-email, applications or files — and destroying malicious programs before they cause any damage.

For more information about how malicious programs work, and installing and using anti-virus software, see Protect Your Computer: Install Antivirus Software.

Anti-spyware Software - Spyware is a general term for software that collects and transmits your personal information, changes your computer's browser settings, or places advertising (called adware) on your computer screen without your consent. Signs of spyware may include changes to your default Web pages, a sudden increase in pop-up advertising, or your computer slowing down and crashing. Anti-spyware software scans your computer and enables you to remove spyware programs.

To learn more about how spyware works and what you can do about it, see How to Protect Your Computer from Spyware and Adware.