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technofile Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983 Turn off your PC between uses to keep intruders outOct. 28, 2001 By Al Fasoldt Copyright © 2001, Al Fasoldt Copyright © 2001, The Post Standard For many years I've been telling you to leave your computer turned on all the time. But I've changed my mind. My idea seemed sound at one time. Leaving a computer running day and night reduces electrical and mechanical wear. All the parts last longer when they are kept at the same moderate temperature, and the only part that might tend to wear out from constant use is the cooling fan. But it's cheap and easy to replace. Even the hard drive doesn't actually undergo any wear while it's running, since there is no metal-to-metal contact once the drive is spinning. My wife, Nancy, and I followed this advice for a decade or more. We had always left our home computers on all the time. They were always ready to use. We never had to wait for any of them to lumber back to life whenever we wanted to do something. But those days are over. Like many of you, we have a permanent high-speed connection to the Internet. That connection is always "live" when our Windows PCs are turned on. If you have a high-speed connection - a cable Internet connection at home or a direct connection at the office - you should be paying a lot of attention right now. You need to wake up just as we did. Windows computers with permanent Internet connections should be turned off when they're not being used. Remember this: Every minute they are turned on is another minute they are online. And that's another minute you're giving away free invitations to Internet hackers. You're inviting them to probe your PC for weaknesses. Stop helping them. Nobody can break into your PC if it's turned off. When I speak to civic groups about this, I'm inevitably challenged by someone who says there's no need to take such drastic action if you have a firewall. Don't fool yourself. Firewalls, which try to block unwanted access to your PC, are no doubt essential. But they're not perfect. Thinking your firewall will protect you from all Internet intrusions is like thinking the locks on your doors will keep your home from being robbed. Firewalls and locks make life harder for the folks who are trying to break in, but they're not foolproof. What about antivirus programs? I'm often asked whether they are enough protection against hackers. In fact, they offer no protection against infiltration. People who are trying to break into your Windows PC aren't doing anything that shows up on your antivirus program's radar screen. AV software looks for viruses, not the probes sent out by hackers and teenagers with nothing better to do. I've also been asked many times if unplugging the cable modem or turning it off will accomplish the same thing. Yes, it will. But turning off your PC gives you a lot more reassurance. A Windows PC that is not turned on is a dumdum. It's good for nothing except a footrest. Nobody can break into it when it is turned off. What about computers that are NOT Windows PCs? I'm asked this sort of question every time I write about or talk about Internet security. The answer isn't as clear-cut as Macintosh owners might like. Certainly, any computer connected to the Internet can be broken into. All it takes is a hacker with enough time. That's why I am telling you that while you're away from your computer, the only safe computer is one that's turned off. This means Mac owners and folks who run Linux PCs can't be complacent. It's true that their computers are inherently safer than Windows, and it's a fact that nearly all the computer viruses out there attack only Windows Pcs. But don't take chances. If your computer is connected to the Internet all the time, turn it off when you're not sitting at the keyboard. |