[Security] 5 Simple Security Tips To Keep Your Computer Safe
There are a huge variety of Computer security products available in the market today which claim to do everything, from keeping you safe from the viruses to cleaning the registry etc…but there are certainly some basic points, which if followed, can keep your computer and you, safe and secure.
This article describes 5 basic, simple security tips which can help you say safe and secure. The tips are mentioned below
1.) Have a Good Antivirus Software Installed on your machine.
The key advantage of having a good antivirus software installed on your machine is quite simple to understand. Antivirus software are meant to protect you from the dangers of a computer virus attack. You can chose to use one of the best free antivirus software , Panda Cloud Antivirus, BitDefender 10 Free Edition (2009). Whatever Antivirus software you choose, ensure that you get real time protection as well.
2.) Have a Firewall installed.
A firewall protects networked computers from intentional hostile intrusion that could compromise confidentiality or result in data corruption or denial of service. It may be a hardware device or a software program running on a secure host computer. In either case, it must have at least two network interfaces, one for the network it is intended to protect, and one for the network it is exposed to.
Image: Firewall examines all the traffic which enters and leaves the network.
A firewall examines all traffic routed between the two networks to see if it meets certain criteria. If it does, it is routed between the networks, otherwise it is stopped. A firewall filters both inbound and outbound traffic.
3.) Keep your Operating System, Browser, Virus Definitions Updated
This is another crucial tip, most of the computer users, dont keep their Softwares updated. Its important to understand that updates related to Operating System, Browsers, Virus Definitions etc.. are required as they contain fixes for the latest vulnerabilities and having your system run updated software is one of the best practise when it comes to staying safe and secure.
4.) Use a VPN or ensure that your emails are encrypted.
Emails usually are sent using a SMTP port which is not encrypted. This in turn means that your emails can be read by anyone who is snooping over the network. Though, its secure, still, not all email providers support encryption. In this case, the best solution for someone who is a regular junkie at the cafes is to go for a Virtual Private Network. Using a VPN you can access a safe computer ( be it at your office/ home) and route all the encrypted data through it. This ways the person snooping over your traffic gets nothing but some encrypted bits.
5.) When Surfing the Internet, be vigilant
When surfing the internet, always go through the URL of the website. A closer look at the URL can certainly give you clues with regards to the fraudulent websites. There are various fraudulent websites which look exactly same as your bank’s or share trading companies website and they exist solely for grabbing your user id and passwords. This kind of an attack is called Phishing attack.
In case of emails, Never reply to emails asking for your bank account number, internet user details etc. Remember NO BANK asks you for such information. If they do, CHANGE YOUR BANK.
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