John Chad, Bachelor Degree in Computer Science & Computer Engineering.
Russel Collins
The world is going digital significantly. People have switched to online shops to conduct their business. From banking to shopping to interacting with family and friends have become online nowadays! Hence, it is crucial to safeguard your PC.
As computers are built to boost human productivity, there are innumerable threats to the computer’s health. Malware, adware, Trojan horses, virus, and different types of hazards are surrounded in the digital environment.
According to 2016 statistics, approx. 40% of PCs in US households are impacted by malware or viruses. Globally, more than 30% of PCs are dealing with the threat of viruses. Furthermore, approx. 150 countries are nowadays impacted by the latest trend in cyber-attacks, known as ransomware.
It is always preferable to be cautious than sorry! Consider these seven tips to keep your computer safe and secure, which go beyond standard debugging methods, if you are wondering how to keep your computer safe!
Tips to keep your Computer Safe
Consider the tips below to protect your PC and personal information:
Use strong passwords
It’s one of the best tips to keep your computer safe, as hackers often access someone’s account by guessing it if you use a straightforward password. In addition, it is recommended not to use a similar password for several accounts. Instead, you may create robust passwords, which are cumbersome to guess.
When you use the same password for different accounts, and your password is compromised, the hacker will invade your account quickly. Therefore, it will be hazardous if the hacker accesses your email ID and changes passwords for other accounts. It would be amazing to employ a password manager if you grapple with remembering tough passwords.
Surf through trusted browsers
You need to surf only those browsers, which are trusted and safe. The most trustworthy browsers are Chrome, Safari, and Firefox, as they all have pre-installed SSL certificates. If websites do not have an SSL certificate installed, you need to leave that website immediately! However, site holders can get an SSL at budget price nowadays. A single low cost or cheap SSL certificate is enough to ensure your visitors about site’s authenticity.
These browsers possess built-in top-notch security measures, which lower the threat to your PC from viruses and malware infestation. You may also look into the browser’s privacy and security settings, where you can regulate specific areas that reinforce the security.
Install renowned antivirus software
It is recommended to buy antivirus software from a trustworthy provider. If you are not well acquainted with the company selling antivirus software at a much cheaper rate, do not use its product! Always try to buy antivirus from a renowned company; otherwise, the product will not be helpful to keep malware, virus, and ransomware at bay!
Antivirus software protects your PC from malware infestation and scans your website and email for any detrimental content. The best-in-class antivirus programs, for example, Total AV, Panda Free Antivirus software, and PC Protect, offer maximum malware protection for PCs.
Stay away from public Wi-Fi
Public Wi-Fi must not sway you as it offers a free internet connection to watch your favorite content on the PC. Without you knowing, someone spiteful in your surroundings might be surreptitiously addressing your account and stealing passwords of your social accounts through the Wi-Fi. Therefore, using a VPN that conceals your connection is suggested by linking to a protected server in the middle.
Use a firewall
The significance of using a Firewall on your PC or a network cannot be emphasized enough! Since you have all the major security updates, you are still prone to unpatched, unreported, or anonymous susceptibilities that hackers might know about! Sometimes those cunning hackers unearth new security gaps in an OS or software long before the software firm does, and people are hacked before a security patch is made public. By implementing a firewall, most of these security gaps will not be accessible, as the firewall will restrict the hacking attempt.
Never postpone the latest OS updates
The most significant step in how to keep your computer safe for any user is always to install OS updates, mainly security updates. Once the OS is developed, programming glitches and bugs are accidentally generated, which could cause safety vulnerabilities or make your PC act surprisingly.
Although the developers spend several hours trying to impede these bugs, they are human ultimately, and bugs may generate at any time. Irrespective of the type of OS, bugs are unavoidable. Because of this, organizations release updates and patches routinely to resolve any security errors once they are found. As you want your PC to function safely and smoothly, every user must install updates, mainly security updates, once those are released. The chance of remote users breaking into the system or malware using these bugs to get access to your computer increases if you disregard these updates.
All contemporary operating systems gladly offer simple procedures for installing fresh updates. In real terms, the majority of these techniques handle everything for you and only ask you to follow a prompt to let the latest patches install. Thus, there is no justification for not installing them.
Never open emails from anonymous senders or hit the links or open attachments in them
You need to be highly mindful of the emails you open and click the links. It is the most notorious phishing strategy involving emails from anonymous senders containing virus-infected links or dubious ones to pilfer your personal information. Similarly, you must deter yourself from downloading attachments from unknown senders, as they are another deception strategy to spread infections from one PC to another. Malware writers take advantage of default settings on OS to make the attachments look authentic, which entices you to open them.
Conclusion
The world of the internet is not a particularly safe environment; let us confront it. There are hazardous Trojans disguised as beneficial apps, spyware that tracks your online activity, and cyber criminals who are finding ways to infiltrate your computer with viruses exist. Therefore, these are the top seven tips to keep your computer safe, which will deter you from online hazards. Following these tips will help you follow protected internet security practices and keep you stress-free as you use your PC, acquainted with the fact that your personal details are safeguarded.