It is not easy to protect your computer when you are surrounded by prying eyes of hackers, hackers or marketing companies trying to collect your personal data for their various purposes. Security software programs have been fighting a long battle to protect your computer from viruses, spyware, adware, worms, key-loggers, and all kinds of other malicious programs for a long time. However, relying on software alone is not enough. You need to be aware of PC security threats that exist online.
The following 5 tips will ensure your computer stays safe online and is better protected from Internet and PC security threats.
1. Keep good quality security software installed on your computer at all times. Since security tools serve different purposes, it’s actually smarter to have a couple of them installed. Also, it’s good practice to install security software right after you buy a new PC or build a new machine.
2. Keep your operating system up to date on all critical patches. If you’re using a Windows-based computer, you can keep Automatic Update checked so that it regularly checks for and downloads security patches and critical updates that Microsoft releases at regular intervals. Windows Automatic Update will even install updates for you, saving you all the hassle and manual downloading and updating. If you use Linux, most Linux distributions popularly known as distros have an update manager installed by default that regularly pulls updates to installed programs from repositories. It is good practice to update your software packages once or twice a month.
3. Make sure your antivirus and other security tools are updated regularly. Most antivirus tools maintain a database of virus signatures. If they don’t find a particular virus signature in their database, they won’t be able to deal with it effectively. Many of the security software programs work like this and are only as good as their last update. Keep them updated more often.
4. Watch for downloads. You do not need to download each and every program, tool, game, utility, or application on your computer. Many of the software programs installed on machines are rarely used in any way. Download only what you think is necessary for you and check each download with an antivirus scanner. Get in the habit of downloading your stuff only from trusted sources.
5. Please install the software carefully. Many programs masquerading as freeware come bundled with additional software or an adware component. Just because a particular game appears to be available for free download does not mean that it is free. Free stuff and games are one of the main causes of PC viral infections. Children especially fall in love with such tricks. They end up downloading free games and installing them carelessly. Do not allow children to download and install programs. There is a high chance that the games you download or play online have been infecting your computer.