Protect your precious data and secure your computer by following some precautions. Here are 10 simple steps that will help you to secure your computer and online accounts from hackers:
Always set a secure password
One of the easiest and most efficient ways to protect your computer or online account is by setting a strong password. You have to choose a unique password, possibly a combination of alphabets, numbers, and special characters, which you can easily memorise. Do not use the same password for multiple accounts because if one account gets hacked, you will lose access to all other accounts as well. Use a password manager to make sure that your passwords do not get reused. In case you forget the password then the IT help desk can help you to recover your account.
Remove the preinstalled apps
When you purchase a brand new computer you never know what’s really on it. The preinstalled apps can prove to be valuable points for the hackers to attack you from, so remove any preinstalled apps to ensure the safety of your computer. Lenovo was once found to have preinstalled a secret tracking tool that broke encryptions on new computers. This brought attention to the dangers of preinstalled apps and led to a lot of users to consider deleting them. By removing these apps, you can make your computer less vulnerable to the hackers.
Enable two-factor authentications
Enable two-factor authentications on all of your online accounts to make your accounts more secure. Whenever you want to access your account, the two-factor authentication simply sends a unique code to your device, preferably cell phone, which you have to enter in order to get access to your online account. Two-factor authentications make it more complicated for the hackers to access your account. The majority of the online accounts like Facebook, Gmail and Yahoo now support two-factor authentications.
Setup full disk encryption on your hard drives
A simple yet effective way of saving your personal data from ending up in wrong hands is to setup full disk encryption on your hard drives. The full disk encryption makes your data unreadable for the hackers without the right password. You can use trusted tools like True Crypt, Vera Crypt, Microsoft BitLocker or Apple’s File Vault for full disk encryption.
Install HTTPS Everywhere plugin to your browsers
HTTPS Everywhere plugin enables your browser to ensure a safe and secure connection to a website. Protect your privacy by adding an HTTPS Everywhere plugin to your browser and forcing a website to load using a more secure version of the page. It is a very trusted plugin created by Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Uninstall Java, and Update Adobe plugins and apps automatically
Uninstall Java as it is usually gets affected with bugs and security issues. Adobe plugins and apps can also tend to be troublesome so you should update them automatically to avoid dilemmas. Java is vulnerable to hackers so simply disable or uninstall it if you do not need it.
Browse anonymously by using Tor
Tor is an anonymity network that hides a user’s identity and browsing history from the malicious outside actor. It is one of the best anonymity networks that protects your privacy. It is not that reliable as many people are trying to crack it but it is better than most of the browsing maskers. Find a computer technician if you face any problems using Tor.
Always keep your computer up to date
Always keep your computer up to date to secure your computer from harmful malwares. Many malwares can be deployed on unpatched computers without you even knowing it, if you do not keep your computer up to date. Botnets can expose your network by overloading it and the only thing that stops them from doing this is by updating your computer regularly. If you want to know more about how to keep your computer up to date, then contact the IT support services.
Install AdBlock plugin
Install AdBlock plugin to your browser to restrict any malicious advertisements to pop up. Another advantage of using AdBlock is that it can reduce the number of tracking cookies that tend to get installed onto your computer. A good alternative of AdBlock plugin is uBlock. It is an open source that allows the other developers to inspect the code.
Add a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
You should add a virtual private network option to your computer to strengthen the poor security on public Wi-Fi networks. If you install a virtual private network like Hotspot Shield and Dot VPN to your computer, it prohibits the potential hackers on the same Wi-Fi network from accessing your data. One drawback of using this is that your Internet speeds may slow down a bit. You can also use other services like Open DNS, which adds a prominent layer of security to your browsing. It can also filter out some of the more harmful and malicious sites. If you are unable to install a VPN, then contact technical support for assistance.
