How to Protect Your Computer From Common Threats

Your computer contains valuable information. And you need to protect those valuables from threats both online and off. Viruses and malware, spyware and identity theft are all out there and can invade your personal computer causing irreparable damage. Crashes and system errors can cause you to lose irretrievable data.

Don’t panic.  Get busy with certain steps that are aimed at protecting your computer and all your hard work stored on it.

Upgrade For the Latest Security

While you may feel more comfortable using software and working on an OS that is out of date, you may also be sacrificing security in the name of comfort.  Old versions of Windows (such as 98 and ME) are considered much less secure than those being used on PCs today.  Also, older versions of software may have loopholes and leave your data vulnerable.

It’s best to be working with the latest (or close to the latest) version of your software and OS.  Upgrades are reasonably priced and can often be downloaded directly from the vendor.  Even when you do have the latest software version, you should be checking regularly for service patches and critical updates that will provide even tighter security.

Antivirus Protection

For any computer with internet access, it’s essential to have an antivirus protection system.  It’s also important that your antivirus software or online scanning system be up to date and thorough.  While it isn’t a guarantee that you will not run into a virus problem, antivirus software is one of the most effective ways to prevent these headaches.  Spyware falls into this category as well and there are entire software packages and online services dedicated to blocking and removing spyware.

You should also be familiar with good online practices that will naturally protect your system from the threat of viruses and other attacks.  Clicking on links provided by untrustworthy sources, downloading files (especially .exe files) from an unknown source and giving out passwords and personal information via email or unsecure online forms are all dangerous practices.  Be careful how you use a computer and you will encounter less hassle with attacks.

Create Secure Passwords

People have so many different passwords and pin numbers today. It can become quite difficult to keep track of them all and many people just use the same password over and over. This provides a simple and straightforward path for those who want to access your personal information for profit or just to be a nuisance. Make sure that you create secure passwords that are unique and keep then a secret.

Whether for email, online banking or retail website accounts your passwords should always be unique and difficult to guess or track.

The All Important Backup

When your computer crashes (and it likely will at some point or other) you will lose most or all of the valuable data stored on the system. Having regular, scheduled backups will provide you a second copy of that data, saving you hours upon hours of extra work and hassle. Whether you back up onto an external hard drive, thumb drive or burn the data to a DVD, keeping a second copy of all your files is not only smart, it is essential.

Protect all of your hard work and valuable information with regular updates, antivirus protection, secure passwords and a backup system.  Your computer will do all of the hard work, you just need to lend your support and protection.