Saturday, 29 December 2012

Top 5 great computer security tips you should know


Computer security tips are essential to stay protected from all kinds of risks pertaining to your computer. When you are using the internet, you need to be extra cautious of few risks for example viruses, spy ware, hackers and so on.
These malicious programs tend to damage the data on your system. Computer security tips help you to sort out such issues and work in a secure environment.The following tips help you in providing the best security to your PC.
1. Install an anti-virus program
Installing good antivirussoftware is a must-do for any computer. This software safeguards your computer system from harmful viruses and other malicious programs. Another major advantage of having antivirus software is that it protects your personal and private information stored in the computer. It’s best to choose a paid antivirus program that provides better security than a free one. Make sure it gets updated automatically. Never open the sites that warn you of virus infection. Incase you notice that your system has been infected by a virus; you should turn off the system and seek service from a computer professional.
2. Don’t let intruders in- use firewalls
No internet connection is safe without a firewall setup. Firewalls create a protective barrier between your computer and whatever lies on the other side of the internet. You can either choose to have a software firewall that runs on your PC or a hardware firewall that supports multiple computers at the same time. They check all data entering and exiting your PC and prevent the ones that are harmful. Firewalls also prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access to your system. Some operating systems such as Linux, MacOS, windows XP have inbuilt firewalls but for others, you need to buy one from a computer store.
3. Always use hard to guess passwords
Create strong unique passwords that are difficult to break. Let your password include upper and lower case characters, numbers and special characters. For instance, you want to use your pet name “kimbo” as your password. You can make it stronger by using 1 instead of the letter ‘i’ and 0 instead of the letter ‘o’ and add some special characters. Now your password looks something like this “K1mb0@” which is hard to guess for cyber criminals. Use different passwords for different sites and secure this list of passwords with a strong password. This would be useful when someone succeeds in guessing one of your passwords, it would be difficult for him to use it for other sites. Also change your passwords on a regular basis.
4. Beware of Scams
Don’t open any suspicious emails or follow any odd links and attachments. If you know the client but still suspect the attachment, simply confirm them by phone or in person before you click on that attachment. Incase you find the attachment is not sent by the client you know then the best thing to do is to delete it right away. Change your password immediately when you suspect that you have been targeted by spam.
5. Backup data
When a computer gets crashed, you are at the risk of loosing all your important data. Hence, make it a habit of taking backups on external hard drives. You can keep them in your office for regular backups or even carry them with you when you’re traveling without your computer.

By following the above tips and being engaged in your own security, you’ll be protecting yourself and contributing to the betterment of the internet as a whole.

About The Author: Diana is a blogger by profession. She loves writing, reading and traveling. Beside this she is fond of luxury cars and wishes to own one day BMW ActiveHybrid 3

2 comments:

Hina Ali said...

A very good post ,I like it very much ,hope you will give another post asap Great info Thanks!
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raza wala said...

Good post. computer security is essential.sharing to 10 valuable Recommendations to keep Computer Secure

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