Basic Computer Security How to Protect Yourself From Viruses, Hackers and Thieves

People often think of computer security as both technical and complex. And it can be if you get to the point. Here are some basic and important things to do to make it safer online.

Use automatic updates

All the software we use every day is full of security issues. Windows, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Adobe Flash plugin, Adobe PDF Reader, Microsoft Office, etc. All security issues continue to be discovered.

Many operating systems and programs these days offer automatic updates to address these security vulnerabilities. You no longer need to click a button or download a file to update your software. It updates automatically in the background without your input.

Some people want to turn this feature off for one reason or another. You may not like Windows restarting after installing the update, or you may not like the changes. But from a security point of view, you should always enable automatic updates.

If you previously turned off automatic updates, use the software to enable it right now, then use it again. Well done.

Keeping your computer up to date can help keep it safe from online threats. Microsoft provides updates for Windows and related Microsoft products (Defender, Office) on the second Tuesday of each month. Although Apple is not scheduled, it provides updates regularly. In addition to fixing bugs, this update patches security flaws. The only way to protect yourself from the latest known vulnerabilities is to update them. Malicious attackers are always looking for unpatched systems, and automatic updates put users off the low hanging fruit list.

Use antivirus and antimalware programs

Every few years there seems to be an article saying that one antivirus is absolutely the best. Three say that the third surpasses the first. Some of them are stupid when they write and use articles saying that antivirus is no longer relevant.

Try setting the record right away. You pay attention to the web, but you need to run an antivirus. Which one? It's up to users all over the world. Free, simple, good, there are no problems with using Windows Defender. It is built into Windows, automatically updated with the Windows Update utility, has no noticeable effect on performance, and is free. To be effective, you need to integrate your antivirus application with the operating system at a very deep level. Who knows the interior of Windows better than the people who made it up? Also, like some antivirus programs, you don't want to sell other products or add other features you don't need.

If you spend your time in the darker corners of the internet, you might want something a little stronger like Avira or Kaspersky, but Windows Defender will be good for most home users.

However, in addition to anti-virus, it is recommended to use Malwarebytes with anti-virus. Just as belts can use good suspenders to help a little, applications like Malwarebytes can provide additional protection against malicious software that traditional antivirus software products may not be able to identify. Malicious programs like browser redirectors and ad injectors work the same as some known legitimate network filters. They are not technically viruses, but you certainly don't want them. Antimalware applications can solve these problems. Malwarebytes is $40 per year, but you can use some features for free.

Make better passwords, automate them.

You probably know that passwords matter, but you don't know the importance of passwords and how terrible they really are.

Here it is: We are no longer in the internet's old days. You can call it for a day using the same password anywhere. Sometimes the service gets hacked all the time, and if you use the same password everywhere, you've given access to other users. When every single service leaks information, you need to use a long password for your account and use a different password for every site and service.

To do this, I recommend using a password manager like LastPass. Automatically generate passwords, store them securely in one place, and automatically insert passwords when browsing.

You also need to have a password for your computer and a password for your phone. I know it's uncomfortable. It may take a few seconds longer than pressing a single button, but keeping your information safe is an easy and important way. If the computer and phone have a password, random users stop picking up and using the device.

Think of all the information on your phone. Now think of any website you have logged into your computer. Would you like to make all of that available to a stranger? What you need to have a password on your computer and phone. No exceptions.

But that's not all. A good password is like a very good lock on a door, but you can pick up a lock. Adding encryption turns that door into a bunker. Encrypting your computer or phone can prevent thieves from accessing your data in other advanced ways. Mac users should turn on FileVault. If you're running Windows Home, features like Veracrypt are a good option. These days iPhone and Android phones are usually encrypted by default, but you can check the settings again to be sure.

Never leave your unattended phone or computer.

This may seem obvious, but it never deserves to be accepted, ever leave your computer or phone unauthorized to the public. Is it your coffee table at home? certain. On the table at Starbucks? No. Doing so is a question because it was stolen.

If your device gets stolen, the best case is to lose an expensive device. However, if you leave something unattended and you haven't followed all of the advice above, the worst-case scenario is that someone has an expensive gadget. And all your personal information. I have a child who has a little more basic computer knowledge than is required to get all the data. It's much easier if you have a computer in your hand (if you don't use encryption, see above).

Know that any link is safe to click on an email.

You are always listening. Don't open emails from people you don't know, and don't click links in emails you don't trust. But that's not enough. In many cases, malicious links can come from infected friends or spread via email. It's legitimate to look at, but it's a real fake. This is phishing.

To be truly safe, it's best to never click on any link in your email. But it's not always realistic. The waypoint option knows how to inspect the link before clicking it. Yes, it even includes links from friends.

First, make sure this link goes to where it goes. When you move the cursor over the link, the target appears at the bottom of the browser window. Otherwise, right-click on the link and select "Copy Link Address". Then you can safely paste it somewhere and inspect it like a notepad document.

If the link says "ebay.com" but the actual destination says "ebay.clickme.com", this is suspicious and should not be clicked. Remember. Just because the word "eBay" is there, doesn't mean it will be eBay. ".com" must be legal in the true sense.

Beware of programs you download and run (and stop pirated software)

This tip can also be seen clearly. Listen all the time, and you'll probably think you're following it. However, much of the malware experienced by Windows users seem to be the result of accidentally downloading and installing the wrong software.

So always pay attention to the programs you download and run. Download and run only software that is widely known, trusted, or recommended by trusted sites. Always download the software from the official website. To download VLC, please download it from VLC's official website. Do not click on the "Download VLC" banner from other websites or download it from someone else's website that may come with malware or adware. Even if you're using a search engine, make sure you're connected to the real site as well.

And when downloading software, look carefully at advertising banners disguised as "download" links elsewhere and try to trick you into downloading malicious software. Uncheck the bundled software (even legitimate software) that comes with the program.

For example, screensavers in the.CRC format is essentially simple programs, and there are very many "programs" that can contain harmful malware. Here's a list of over 50 file extensions that can be potentially dangerous in Windows.

Finally, you should stop leaking software without saying this. Buying counterfeit software from peer-to-peer networks or shady websites puts you at great risk. By running the .exe file from these locations, you can trust the distributor to not do anything harmful. Moreover, cracks that may need to be run to make these software work properly are created by the software cracking group. I don't know if they contained malware.

Don't Trust pop-up Notifications.

Likewise, don't download or install anything you didn't find. If the website tells you that the flash is out of date, it will trigger the brakes if you need to update Chrome or add a plugin. This is a common trick for an attacker to install something. If you think the popup is legitimate, you still don't want to click on it.

Take Flash as an example. The site can give you a warning that you need the latest version to play cat videos. Instead of clicking on the link (or button), you want to update, search for "adobe flash" and get the update from Adobe's official website, not the pop-up on catvideos.com.

This also applies to "technical support". Don't trust any site (or any call from Microsoft) that says a virus has been found on your system. If you see a pop-up saying that your computer has a virus, don't click it. Instead, go to the Start menu, open the antivirus program of your choice and run a scan from there instead.

None of these ideas is particularly high-tech. They haven't progressed. They don't have complex programs or computer science degrees. They are a simple way to greatly improve your security by tweaking your behaviour, and everyone can improve your security.