If your computer has access to the internet and e-mail, then it may be only a matter of time before you get attacked by malicious spyware program, virus, worm, or hacker. Every day we experience customers getting displeased about their computer problems due to these threats, and it is only getting worse.

What's even more worrying is that several of my customers keeps coming back to my repair shop a couple days or weeks later complaining about the EXACT same computer problems and ends up paying for ANOTHER repair just to get their computer up and running again.

Just imagine having these kinds of problem with your restaurant. Your entire POS systems being infiltrated and destroyed by viruses and worms. You absolutely have no way of protecting your restaurant POS system if you do not take extra precautions.

The Three Dangerous Threats You Should Look Out For

One of the most dangerous aspects of online threats is their ability to cloak their existence. Hackers and the authors of malicious spyware and malware programs go to great lengths to create programs that are difficult to identify and remove.

This can mean that malicious computer programs can directly be downloaded and work its dirty tricks on your system before you even know it. Below are the two most common threats you’ll need to guard against with a brief explanation of what they {are|are and how you acquire them}:

Spyware: Spyware is internet jargon for hidden programs advertisers install on your PC without your knowledge to spy on you, gather information, and report this information about you and your online activities to a third party.

Most spywares are secretly attached to files you download over the internet, like free scripts, music files, and screen savers. While you think you are only downloading a legitimate program to add smileys to your e-mails, you are unknowingly also downloading a truck full of spyware programs.

Malware: A combination of the words malicious and software. This type of computer program is specifically designed to infiltrate and damage your system, this include viruses, worms and Trojans. Malware is harder to remove and will try to fight back when you try to clean it from your system. In some extreme cases, we had to wipe out the hard disk and start with a complete re-install of the operating system. Most of the time, malware secretly attach itself to your emails without your knowledge causing computer damage to your email receipients.

Hackers: Programmers who find breaking in to their friends or coworkers' computer is fun, but causes no damage, they love the challenge of being able to infiltrate a computer system and brag about it. Today these hackers mostly love to design spyware and malware programs that attacks computer systems causing extreme damage.

So if you're a restaurant or any other retail establishment owner, having no protection for your POS systems at all, then your system is surely one of the easy targets.

Some of them have criminal intent and use their programs to steal money and aquire secured information from individuals and companies. Some of them may have a grudge against your software vendor and take their revenge by attacking their customers. While other hackers does it purely for fun. Whatever the reason, these evil programmers are getting more intelligent and sophisticated in their ability to gain access to computer systems and networks.

Below Are Four Simple Steps You May Take In Order To Secure Yourself From These Attacks

1. Never forget to keep your antivirus software updated at all times. You will want to make sure it has an auto scan and has an update feature that will make sure your computer is running the most current protection available and regularly scanning for threats.

2. Instead of just sticking to one why not consider an alternative browser to MS Inter Explorer like the Mozilla Firefox. Hackers have figured out ways to access and download malicious programs to your computer via a security hole in IE. Even worse about this is that even if you do not click anything and/or download a program to get infected. You are especially vulnerable if you have an older version of Windows such as Windows 98.

Mozilla Firefox is a completely free web browser that does not have the same security problems as IE. A few of my clients even report back that they mostly prefer using Mozilla Firefox than Internet Explorer browser. Switching from IE to Mozilla is a simple and a costless way to add more protection to your computer. To download this free browser, go to www.mozilla.org.

3. [Never. This goes without saying because most viruses are passed via e-mail. If the e-mail looks suspicious, don't open it, delete it immediately!

4. Using s firewall. A firewall is designed to block unauthorized access while allowing outgoing communication. many computer users will just get a DSL or cable Internet connection and plug it without a firewall.

The one thing you have to remember about the Internet is that it is a big open field. You have access to the world, but on the flip side, the world has access to YOU. Hackers have programs that automatically scan the Internet for computers connected via a cable or DSL connection without a firewall. Once they find one, they they immediately access your computer, download vicious programs, and might even use your computer to reproduce their ravaging viruses to your friends or other computers without your knowledge or permission.

It only takes one click of a mouse to gain easy access to your restaurant POS system, collect all customer or employee data, destroy your computer system, and sends out virus-infected emails to your customers and friends using your email account! It will surely be the end of your hard work, a huge waste of money on the restaurant POS solutions you've bought, and possibly the downfall of your business if you let this things happen to you.

The author Michael Tash is the Vice President of Customer Relations at POS-For-Restaurants. With over 20 years of restaurant experience, POS-For-Restaurants.com helps you use your technology to be more efficient and more profitable.