Everyone connecting to the Internet will be exposed to malware. Malware is a catch-all term for computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware, and spam. When your computer meets malware, will it become the latest addition to a botnet, or will your personal data be stolen? Every home computer user must take responsibility for their use of the internet and take steps to secure themselves from internet malware. Consider it being a good internet neighbor.

Try these basic techniques to mitigate malware exposure:

I. Common, well known techniques:
(1) Use antiviris software, enable real-time agents, update often. Run scans frequently.
(2) Use antispyware software, enable real-time agents, update often. Run scans frequently.
(3) Use a firewall.
(4) Take advantage of the spam settings on your web mail accounts. Never open suspicious email or attachments.
(5) Apply software and operating system patches often.
…ok, now that we have those out of the way…

II. Less common at home, but very effective techniques:
(2) Use OpenDNS
(3) Use a custom HOSTS file

Using OpenDNS

The names used by a web browser to load web pages must be translated from the friendly name you type into your browser to an IP address. A program on your computer called a DNS client sends a query to a DNS server asking what the IP address is for the particular fully qualified domain name in the URL you are trying to reach. The DNS server sends back a response with the IP address of the web server. Then your browser makes the actual HTTP request to the web server for the desired web page. You can take advantage of this DNS client/server operation to filter out unwanted content by using the DNS servers of OpenDNS. All you need to know to implement this service on your home network is available at www.opendns.com.

I use this service on my own home network. I find it very effective at blocking adult content, P2P file sharing programs, and social networking sites I would rather my children not be able to access.

Benefits of OpenDNS:

1. Phishing protection
2. Content blocking. Especially useful if you have children in the house.

Using a Custom Hosts File

The Hosts file is a static text file containing mappings of IP addresses to host names,found locally on every computer. This file is loaded into memory (cache) at startup. Windows checks this information before it queries any DNS servers, which enables it to override addresses in the DNS Server. This prevents access to the sites listed in the HOSTS file by redirecting any connection attempts back to the local (your) machine. Since the local machine is not the web server for the particular site, the content is not available. Simple, isn’t it? Another feature of the HOSTS file is its ability to block other applications from connecting to the Internet, providing the entry exists. You can use a HOSTS file to block ads, banners, 3rd party Cookies, 3rd party page counters, web bugs, and even most hijackers. This is accomplished by blocking the connections that supply them. For more information about this technique and how to implement it, visit www.mvps.org.

Benefits of a Custom Hosts File:

1. Speed the loading of web pages by not having to wait for ads, annoying banners, hit counters, etc. to load.
2. Protect your privacy and security by blocking sites that may track your viewing habits, also known as “click-thru tracking” or Data Miners.

Do you have any simple but effective techniques you use to protect your home network? Reply to this post and share it with everyone.