Using an antivirus is essential when trying to keep our computer healthy and free from viruses
Computers are an incredible technology that many of us use every day of our lives. However, they’re prone to viruses and malware that could harm our files and steal our personal data, such as banking details and social security information. If you’re looking for some extra security, here are some ways to protect your computer from viruses.
Firewalls
A firewall is a software program or piece of hardware that blocks hackers from accessing and using your computer. Hackers search the internet the way some telemarketers automatically dial random phone numbers. They send out pings (calls) to thousands of computers and wait for responses. Firewalls prevent our computer from responding to these random calls. A firewall blocks communications to and from sources we don’t permit. This is especially important if you have a high-speed internet connection, like DSL or cable.
Some operating systems have built-in firewalls that may be shipped in the “off” mode. Be sure to turn your firewall on. To be effective, you should set up your firewall properly and updated regularly. Check your online “Help” feature for specific instructions.
Install an Antivirus
There are many antivirus applications available, all ranging in charge as the extent of safety increases. Installing the best antivirus isn’t any easy task, and from time to time it may be more secure for us to download multiple in the event that they every cover unique safety aspects. It may be said that there’s no need for antivirus so long as we don’t get right of entry to the net from our PC. This is, however, not always true, as we are able to carry viruses among structures on USB sticks. It’s important to don’t forget which you don’t must spend a lot cash, or any cash at all, to have a secure and stable computer.
Keep Your Software up to Date
All computer operating systems obtain frequent updates that enhance individual features. These updates additionally consist of security features that preserve our computer systems secure from the latest batch of viruses and malware cooked up by hackers. We need to make sure that updates are notified or set to download and set up automatically. Be warned, those installations may be time-consuming, especially if there are significant modifications and security features that change how the system handles diverse data.
Backup Your Computer
Sometimes we’re not able to delete a virus or malware off our computers, and when this happens, we’ll have to put off a number of our data. Occasionally, record corruption from dangerous code may also imply we should reformat our hard drives. Without a backup, there’s no option to recover any lost data. This is even greater important considering hard drives may also by accident corrupt themselves and we lost our files. However, a backup that carries the virus and malicious code will repeat the issues we’ve skilled till we don’t back up up the malware. There are 3 primary alternatives for storing our backup: external hard drives, online storage, and cloud storage. Sites such as Google Drive offer free cloud storage for a limited amount of space.
Use a Strong Password
A password is very important part to defense that protects our accounts from anyone trying to unauthorized access into them. Once someone’s into an account, they can steal data or place harmful content into cloud storage that may automatically update to the computer.
A strong password is complex and often does not relate to ourselves in any way. The most common passwords that are easily guessed are like “password,” 123456, DOB and 12345678. Using the same login details for every website or app leaves us vulnerable to an attack even if only one account is illegally accessed.
Watch the Downloads
Websites can be sneaky when they are loaded with suspicious content and
malware. If a download starts that we didn’t authorize, we should immediately cancel it and exit the web page as it’s likely to be filled with virus and more malicious code.
If we use an outdated browser such as Internet Explorer, we need to ensure that the security setting is on at least medium, if not more, to prevent any unwanted code from accessing our system. Otherwise, there’s a chance that downloads may occur in the background without our knowledge.
Install an Ad-blocker
Online pop-up advertisements can often lead to websites that steal our data and install viruses. It is often said than done when trying to avoid these, unless we have to download a reliable ad-blocker that stops us from seeing them.
It’s easy to find free ad-blockers and various paid. The difference in price generally relates to how well it functions. We should be careful when browsing the web, even if we have an active ad-blocker on since many sites prevent entry unless the extension or app is disabled.
Antispyware software
Spyware is software installed without our knowledge or consent that can monitor our online activities and collect personal information while we’re online. Some kinds of spyware, called keyloggers, record everything we key in—including our passwords and financial information. Signs that our device may be infected with spyware include any ads, being taken to websites that we don’t want to go to, and generally slowed performance.
Spyware protection is included in some antivirus software programs. Check your antivirus software documentation for instructions on how to activate the spyware protection features. You can buy an antispyware software programs. Keep your antispyware software updated and run it regularly.
To avoid spyware in the first place, download software only from sites you know and trust. Make sure apps you install on a mobile device come from the Apple App Store for iPhones or Google Play for Android devices and for windows store for Computer.
Run a Virus Scan Often
As great as all our ad-blocker and antivirus software is, there’s still potential to download a virus or install malware. As a result, we must run a virus scan at least once in a week to prevent the damage done by malicious coding. This can be done before we backup to ensure we have no harmful files.
Avoid Suspicious Links
Links can be a dangerous thing, especially when they are coming from unknown sources. A common trick that’s still used today is sending phishing mails that link to some harmful websites that may install a virus or steal our data. We should careful about what we click on will save us from many threats.
Shop safely
When shopping online, we should check out the website before entering our credit card number or other personal information. We should read the privacy policy and look for opportunities to opt out of information sharing. (If there is no privacy policy posted, beware! Shop elsewhere.) Learn how to tell when a website is secure. Look for “https” in the address or an unbroken lock icon at the bottom of the browser window. These are signs that our information will be encrypted or safe, protecting it from hackers as it moves across the internet.
What we share
Social media allows sharing of all details of our life, but it’s important to control who has access to the information we share. Information thieves can use social media postings to gather information and then use this information to hack into other accounts or for identity theft. To protect us, make use of privacy settings to limit the visibility of personal posts to our personal networks, and restrict the amount of information we share with the public.
