Today, you need to make sure your desktop computer is protected at all times. If you don’t, you could quickly fall victim to hackers that are looking to either disrupt your life or, worse, steal your personal info. Today, we take a look at 5 steps you should take to protect your desktop from harm as you venture out in the wild world that is the Internet.
1. Never reveal your personal information online.
This first one may apply more to your life than just your desktop, but really it will help both. Never give out your personal information online when talking to anyone. Even if the person claims to be a part of a company you do business with, never give them any info under any circumstances. If you are shopping online, make sure the website uses a secure connection (SSL) that is designated in the address as “https” before you enter your credit card information.
2. Do not open email attachments from anyone you don’t know.
If you happen to receive an email from someone that you don’t know and it has something attached to it, do NOT open it. EVER. Many viruses are included in emails as a zip file these days and if you open it, your computer will be infected. If you receive an email like this, it is best if you just delete it right away and move on without giving it another thought.
3. Use updated antivirus software at all times.
This may sound like an obvious thing, but it is always amazing to me how many people fail to use up to date and accurate antivirus software on their computers. Whether you use the one that comes with Windows these days or install a third party app, always make sure it is active, up to date and functioning. You may want to run an occasional scan as well, just to make sure everything is a-okay with your machine.
4. Install malware scanning software.
There are more than just viruses that can destroy your computer and steal your data. Today, malware has been on the rise and, in many ways, it functions in much the same way as viruses. Many antivirus software packages are beginning to include an anti-malware scanner in their software today. But, even if your antivirus application has anti-malware, I also recommending installing software such as Malwarebytes on your machine and running it regularly. This will ensure your computer runs a little faster and you won’t have to worry about malware threats.
5. Try other, more secure browsers.
While Microsoft has pretty much put Internet Explorer out to pasture, it is still installed on many machines running Windows 7, 8 and even Windows XP. If you are using this as your main browser, you may want to consider installing another browser such as Google Chrome before you continue surfing. Many virus makers love to target Internet Explorer even today meaning you will give them an easy target if you insist on using it for your web browsing.
There you have it. As you can see it is actually pretty easy to protect your computer. All you need to do is take a little bit of your time to make sure you run the proper software to keep your desktop secure and practice a few easy steps to remain safe while you use your desktop. What do you think? Is there anything else that you should do to protect your computer?
