Another Day With My PC

In a bid to entice people to search and retrieve their laptop, a brewer in New Zealand has recently pledged a lifetime of beer to anyone who could bring its portable PC back. Croucher Brewing Co. pleads for the return of its laptop since it contains all of the company’s financial details.

So what does this got to do with the PC?

Hole in One, Twos, Threes…

Well, do you ever remember a time when your PC crashed because Microsoft or some other software maker forgot to plug some holes in their creations? While some crashes are benign, requiring you to just reboot your PC to get rid of the glitch, other meltdowns take your computer and all its contents down the drain.

I’m sure some of you have already experienced the worst case scenario that I’ve just said. You probably spent the night thereafter trying to look for your back up disks or the installation CDs of the applications that used to rent space in your hard drive. However, if you forgot to back up, then you most likely spent the night giving the customer service lady at Microsoft’s hotline a very big piece of your mind.

e-Samsonite

PCs, especially the portable ones, are the modern day bags and briefcases. It contains things that are essential to our work. To some (like the workaholics), the very foundation of their lives are built around their PCs and on the information that are stored therein. Thus, a hard drive crash for them is life-altering, to say the least.

How much, do you think, would those persons offer to anybody who could retrieve their lost data? For big companies, I assume that they would be very willing to give a hefty figure for the retrieval of the 0s and 1s that they’ve lost in their hard drives caused by malware that were able to get into their system through the unlocked gates and weak walls of their operating system.

Warrant of Arrest

In situations like that, shouldn’t it be the software maker which should make reparations for our loss? There is such a thing as a “warranty” in commercial law. However, I don’t see it being applied in defective software, or at least not as much as with the other faulty goods that are offered for sale. Could it be that there’s a separate law or rule governing computer programs?

It’s not unusual for applications to be littered with errors that need patching up. Take Windows, for example. Everybody knows that it competes with Swiss cheese when it comes to having holes and clefts. They don’t stay open for long, though, because Microsoft makes it a point to lock them up through Windows Update. Maybe the authorities are not too quick to jump the gun on software makers as long as they immediately stitch every hole that they encounter.

Your Own Sentinel

I’m not sure if anybody has already filed a suit against software authors for having lost important data or files due to faulty programming. Until such time that we learn of one, and a successful suit at that, we should take matters into our own hands by making sure that nothing could go in and wreak havoc to our PC. Of course, an antivirus would be needed in this endeavor. A registry cleaner would also come in handy in case the malware would want to rewrite the contents of your Windows registry. But don’t rely solely on these security suites and system tools, though. The ultimate protector of your computer and files is still you, the user. Always make sure that the files or programs that you’re using come from legitimate sources.

Unless you’re living in Tibet, it’s very obvious that the society we’re living in is highly commercialized. Just look around and you’ll see that almost every square inch of space in your town is littered with advertisements. Don’t be surprised if one day your mailbox might already be sponsored by Marlboro or McDonald’s.

Surprisingly though, there are more freebies today than there were several decades ago. However, costless products or services always have a catch. The drawbacks are sometimes negligible, but they should be a cause for concern just the same.

Dangerously Free

I’m sure you’re all aware by now of the efforts by businesses and governments in providing free wireless Internet access to citizens, patrons, or any person who might sojourn in their area. This costly (and costless) advertisement is a hit among those who treat their laptop as their office. Many coffee shops that banner “free wi-fi” signs on their doors are always full to the brim. It would thus seem that it’s a win-win situation for both the shop owner and the customer. But is it?

The cost of maintaining or providing free wireless Internet access is not cheap. Business establishments spend a lot in subscribing for the service, as well as for the maintenance of the transmitters in their area. Naturally, they would do whatever it takes to bring the operating costs down. Guess what’s the first one on their list that they’ll cross out in order to keep subscription and maintenance expenses down?

Not Secured

When network analysts first exposed the vulnerable condition of wireless networks as far as security is concerned, many weren’t that surprised anymore. It’s already common knowledge that adding and maintaining security features on networks cost money. Hence, it could be fairly expected that free Wi-Fi access is not bulletproof. If stringent measures would be provided to keep the network safe from hackers, then offering the access for free may not be feasible anymore.

It’s Not Only About the Money

Don’t think that Starbucks is that hesitant in shelling out a few hundred or thousands of bucks just so that you’ll be able to check your e-mail without ending up exposing it to someone who shouldn’t be looking at or reading it in the first place. I’m sure business establishments have the means or extra resources in order to enhance the security of their wireless Internet access system. However, doing so might actually turn off customers than entice them to have a cup while enjoying the free service.

Setting up a secured network would mean putting up too many checkpoints for the user. Barbed-wired Internet access systems require users to submit to numerous verification procedures. By the time they’re through with the process, they’re coffee might already need some reheating.

Free Wi-Fi access is great. However, as with all things that are free, there are certainly some hitches. A security lapse is certainly not a negligible trade off. However, this shouldn’t deter you from enjoying the free offer. Just make sure that you have a fairly good security suite and system tools installed in your PC, such as a registry cleaner. Avoid processing sensitive data while connected on an unsecured network, too. By undertaking these precautionary measures, there’s no reason why you should not be able to enjoy your cup of coffee while opening your e-mail or browsing through the latest NBA or NFL scores on the Internet.

Whoa! Either that keyboard doubles as an ashtray or the latest version of Typing Tutor is so difficult that it practically tests the warranty of your PC’s primary input device.

PC care is not only restricted to defragging your hard drive or streamlining the start up process. First and foremost, computer maintenance involves cleaning and maintaining the hardware. You can’t buy software for this task. You have to personally see to it that your PC’s monitor, keyboard, printer, and other components are free from dirt and dust.

Having the latest registry cleaner and security suite won’t really matter if your unit is threatened physically by abuse or misuse. All the antivirus or anti-spyware software in the world won’t save your PC from liquid spills or heavy dust accumulation. You can’t take on a laissez faire approach when it comes to component maintenance. Don’t downplay the human factor or role in PC care. Not everything is virtual or electronic, you know.

If you think that virus authors are quickly discouraged by knock out blows from antivirus programs, think again.

IBM’s Internet Security Systems has recently revealed that an old foe of anti-malware applications is slowly making its way back to center stage again. The worm, which debuted in January 2003, is known as Spammer. It damaged countless systems during that year, making it one of the most dreaded and unwanted programs in recent history.

Resurrected?

Many thought that the worm had already been completely wiped out of every PC unit after security suites focused on its eradication during the months and years after its discovery. In fact, many have already forgotten about it during the past two years. However, IBM’s revelation had brought back its ghost, along with the reluctant prediction that the worm may come back with a vengeance.

What’s the Worry?

Many are downplaying the possible dangers that Spammer could bring to present computer systems. For one thing, security suites have already dealt with it successfully in the past. Hence, they shouldn’t encounter any difficulty in doing a repeat of their bout with the worm a few years ago.

The problem though, is that security software are having a tough time keeping at pace with the release of new viruses or the modified versions of old unwanted programs. It’s not as if Symantec or McAfee will be able to automatically detect the release of every worm or virus that is born in cyberspace. That’s almost next to impossible. Most of the time, they only come to know about the unwanted program after it has already infected a number of systems. There are thousands of hackers and malware authors around the globe. The number is simply and obviously overwhelming.

Keeping the Program Manageable

It would be very easy for antivirus applications to just retain old virus definitions in order to stem future attacks from old worms. However, this is quite impractical. Without retiring old virus codes, the size of anti spyware or antivirus programs could easily swell to exponential proportions. I’m sure you wouldn’t want your antivirus to be as large as Windows Vista, would you?

This practice of trimming down antivirus programs to manageable levels by retiring old definitions creates gaps on the security of a PC unit. Hence, all that a defeated virus author has to do in order to make a comeback is to put his creation in hibernation for a few years, then resurrect it after a new version of the antivirus that eliminated the worm comes out. This is a very easy task for the malware maker, especially since he need not even have to make any modification anymore.

New Approach

Security suites and system utilities, such as registry cleaners, should come up with a new plan on how to prevent the resurrection of old worms and viruses without having to resurrect its old warriors. There must be some way by which an antivirus or anti malware software could efficiently protect a unit from all known forms of unwanted software without being bloated by definitions and other algorithms.

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