Tips On Securing Your Computer System
More and more people today are using their computers for everything and these would include investing, shopping, and even online banking. By doing these things on a more regular basis, we end up opening ourselves to potential hackers, crackers, and attackers. While some may be looking to phish your personal information and identity for resale, others simply just want to use your computer as a platform from which to attack other unknowing targets. Below are a few easy, cost-effective steps you can take to make your computer more secure.
Making backups of important information and storing them in a safe place separate from your computer is a must.
Your operating system, web browser, and software should be frequently updated and patched. If you have a Windows operating system, start by going to www.windowsupdate.microsoft.com and running the update wizard. With this program, you will be able to find the latest patches for your Windows computer.
Install a firewall. Without a good firewall, viruses, worms, Trojans, malware and adware can all easily access your computer from the Internet.
Your browser and email settings should be reviewed for optimum security. Hackers would often use Active-X and JavaScript in order to plant malicious programs into your computer. Setting your Internet zone to High and then setting your trusted sites zone to Medium Low is what you can do.
Install antivirus software and set for automatic updates so that you receive the most current versions.
Regardless if you know the sender or not, you should never open unknown email attachments.
Running programs from unknown origins is a big mistake. Also, do not forward them to friends and co-workers because they contain funny or amusing stories or jokes. They may contain a Trojan horse waiting to infect a computer.
Disable hidden filename extensions. By default, hiding file extensions for known file types is what the Windows operating system is set to do. This option must be disabled in order for the file extensions to display in Windows.
Turning off your computer and disconnecting from the network is what you can do when you’re not using the computer. A hacker can not attack your computer when you are disconnected from the network or the computer is off.
Consider making a boot disk on a floppy disk in case your computer is damaged or compromised by a malicious program. This step is what you obviously need to take before you experience a hostile breach of your system.
Viruses and other attacks on your computer can lead to identity theft and data loss. These precautions must be taken before it’s too late.
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