Give your computer a spring cleaning to avoid malicious exploits

Is your computer due for a spring cleaning? F-Secure data shows that users’ computers often contain old versions of software which are not up to date or no longer being used. This out-of-date software can make computers vulnerable to malicious exploits.

F-Secure data indicates that what is making computers most vulnerable to exploits are unpatched or out-of-date versions of the most widely-used software for PCs. Between 80-90% of users have security holes in their systems with an average of five different vulnerabilities in the software on their computers. Users don’t remove the old versions of their programs and the vulnerabilities in them can leave the computer wide open to malware or malicious software.
 
Trojans are a typical example of the kinds programs, which take advantage of vulnerabilities. They are malicious applications, which appear to do one thing but actually do another, giving the criminal access to your computer.
 
Chia Wing Fei, security response manager at F-Secure explains, “A lot of the software on users’ computers has been updated and patched to make it safe. People are using these new versions, but if they do not delete the old or unused versions from their computers, they may still be open to exploits. F-Secure’s data shows that people have lots of old software lying about on their PCs, unused, and creating possible problems.”
 
“The best way to keep your PC safe from exploits is to make sure your software is updated with the latest patches. Many software applications will do this automatically. You should also make sure you only have programs you actually use installed on your computer. Old versions or unused programs should simply be removed,” Chia advises.
 
In addition to the programs on your computer, Web browsers can also be vulnerable to exploits. Sometimes these vulnerabilities are used by criminals before an update is available from the manufacturer.
 
F-Secure Exploit Shield recognizes attempts to exploit a known web-based vulnerability and shields the user against them. It also works against new, unknown vulnerability exploits by using generic detection techniques based on the behavior of exploits. F-Secure Exploit Shield is a free beta tool and can be downloaded from http://support.f-secure.com/beta . F-Secure compiles the data of common vulnerabilities from F-Secure Health Check logs. F-Secure Health Check is run on over 100 000 computers monthly worldwide. It is a free tool which can be used to check that your computer’s security software is up-to-date and that you don’t have any security holes in your other software or applications. http://campaigns.f-secure.com/healthcheck/index.html
 
When giving your computer a spring cleaning, make sure