Saturday 6 October 2012

7 Tips on How To Protect Your Computer From Hackers And Viruses

Are hackers and viruses running the show on your personal computer ??? It is time for you to be in charge of your personal computer. That a global internet provides opportunities for everyone everywhere is obvious. That these benefits extend  to criminals at all levels is the scary reality.Cyberattacks are a growing security threat.So it is important to protect your computer from security threats

Here are some simple but essential tips to protect your PC:


1) Install Anti-Virus Software

You need to use antivirus software to protect your own computer, and to prevent your computer from being used to pass on infections to other machines without your knowledge. If anti-virus software detects malicious code, like a virus or a worm, it works to disarm or remove it.
You need to regularly update your anti-virus.

2) Turn on The Firewall

A firewall protects you from unauthorized access by hackers, trojans and other harmful internet intrusions.A firewall is protective barrier between you (your pc) and the rest of the computers (internet).Most firewalls, will alert you about suspicious incoming traffic. Anyone trying to gain access to your PC will hit the firewall first.

3) Update your Operating system

Most desktop security incidents are centered around flaws in the operating system. As these flaws are discovered, vendors release patches to cover these security holes: by updating your operating system you ensure it has all the latest patches.

Updating your OS is perhaps the most critical and simplest of all the methods for protecting your computer. Nearly all modern operating systems have some easy method to make sure you have the latest version of all of your operating system software.

4) E-mail Threats

E-mail security is threatened mostly by viruses,spamming and phishing.

Viruses are a serious threat to computer security as some of the most destructive viruses have been spread through e-mails.
Spam is flooding the Internet with many copies of the same message, in an attempt to force the message on people who would not otherwise choose to receive it. Most spam is commercial advertising, often for dubious products, get-rich-quick schemes, or quasi-legal services.
Phishing is an e-mail fraud method in which the perpetrator sends out legitimate-looking email in an attempt to gather personal and financial information from recipients. Typically, the messages appear to come from well known and trustworthy Web sites.

Here are some simple yet important security tips you should know in order to keep your email account as secure as possible.
  • Never Click Untrusted Links In Emails
  • Save and scan any attachments before opening them
  • Turn off the option to automatically download attachments
  • Scan For Viruses & Malware
  • Avoid Public Wi-Fi
  • Beware Of Phishing Scams

5) Update your Browsers 

Majority of the web browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox,Chrome etc release browser updates on a regular basis to fix some security issues or vulnerabilities associated with their browsers.Make sure you regularly update your browser to the latest versions for a safer and secure web browsing experience.

6) Disable Java Scripting

Many of known security exploits use JavaScript code to perform security breaches on networks or on personal computers, particularly in a Windows environment. If you don’t understand what a JavaScript code does, it’s generally not a good idea to embed it in your site and turn it off in your browsers.

7) Turn OFF Your Computer

Hackers can exploit your computer only at times it is connected to the internet. So if you are not using the computer, it is in your best interests to turn off the machine.This is the simplest but most important tip to protect your computer from security threats.

What do you think? Did you find it useful ? Share your valuable experience and insights in the comments box below. 

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