Shabbona United Church of Christ Illinois, Illinois -- A Christian, Purpose Driven, Bible Believing, Evangelical Church on Illinois, Illinois

Computer Stuff

Computers are great communication tools to use for the kingdom of God. However, the advent of the computer and the World Wide Web have created new concerns. This page is designed to help you be aware of some potential dangers associated with an Internet connected computer, and to provide you resources to help prevent difficulties.

Get Net Wise
The Internet is an increasingly important place to work, play and learn for both adults and children. At the same time, we are concerned about the risks we face online. The challenge is to stay "one-click" ahead of would-be pornographers, hackers, child-predators and those who would misuse your and your child's sensitive information. GetNetWise can help. CLICK HERE for more info.

Warning -- Internet Viruses
Shabbona United Church of Christ strongly recommends anti-virus software. Viruses can infect computer systems in a variety of ways including Email, commercial software, browsing to certain websites, or just being connected to the Internet. You will also want to be aware of Virus Hoaxes which are inadvertently passed along by well-meaning friends and family members.

Two of the more popular commercial anti-virus programs available are Norton Anti-Virus and McAfee VirusScan. There are also some free anti-virus programs available such as AVG Anti-Virus and Avast! which some may also want to consider. Because new viruses are found practically every day, the most important feature to remember is to ensure the anti-virus software is updated on a regular basis.

Warning -- Security Vulnerabilities
Most computers utilize the Windows or Macintosh Operating System (OS). Unfortunately, these OS' contain a number of vulnerabililties which could allow someone to take control of, or damage your computer. Patches or fixes have been provided by the respective companies to protect your system. However, it is up to each computer user to download and apply the patches themselves. Windows users should ensure they have the latest patches installed by clicking HERE. Macintosh users should ensure they have the latest patches installed by clicking HERE.

spyware

Warning -- Spyware
Also known as adware, spyware are software programs which can monitor your computer use, as well as serve up advertisements onto your computer screen. Spyware is often installed on computers via "free" programs, visiting infected web sites, or downloading suspect files. Some popular programs useful to help remove spyware from computers are AVG Anti-Spyware, SUPERAntiSpyware, Spybot Search & Destroy, Ad-aware, and Microsoft's Windows Defender. All are free to download and use.

Warning -- Phishing Scams
Phishing is a high-tech scam that uses spam or pop-up messages to deceive you into disclosing your credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security number, passwords, or other sensitive information. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), phishers send an email or pop-up message that claims to be from a business or organization that you deal with – for example, your Internet service provider (ISP), bank, online payment service, or even a government agency. MacAfee's SiteAdvisor is a free program that helps to protect you from dangerous web sites. read more

hoaxes

Beware -- Hoaxes
It is not uncommon to receive an email from a well-intentioned friend or family member warning you about a new virus, or informing you about a new Internet offer for money. Unfortunately, many of these emails are simply hoaxes which regularly make their rounds on the Internet. Before you forward the email, or take some kind of action, CLICK HERE to see if it is a hoax.

Internet News
Keep updated on the latest Internet related news including legislation, bugs, viruses, alerts, trends, and new technology. CLICK HERE for the latest Internet News.

United States Computer Emergency Response Team (US-CERT) Cyber Security Alerts
Cyber Security Alerts provide timely information about current security issues, vulnerabilities, and exploits. They outline the steps and actions that non-technical home and corporate computer users can take to protect themselves from attack. CLICK HERE to see the current alerts provided by the U.S. Government.