Nowadays, people are increasingly careful about where they go, what they do, the information they give to other people, and always thinking about the people they will meet. However, people often forget that they also need to protect their online life, the data they put in their computers, and how vulnerable their personal computer is, the data they put in, and how can this affect a person.

Being safe in an online environment is tricky and easy at the same time. Most of us know that when we get a laptop or desktop, that we install anti-virus software and voila, we are safe from any viruses, but how about emails that you will encounter, how sure are you that they are credible and not trying to phish personal information, or the security of the laptop itself? How about the password we set for our computers or laptops, are they easy to figure out? How are you sure that this basic layer of security will keep you and your computer safe?

The first thing that we can do to check to be safe is our passwords. Passwords are like a security watch for your computer and online accounts. It will verify the credentials of the person and if you have the correct information, it will let you in. Creating passwords sometimes can be very annoying, but strong and a little complicated password will take a person step of being secure.

Also consider using multi-factor authentication to add a layer of security to your online accounts. There are multiple applications that are free to use like LastPass or DUO.

 In addition, keeping your anti-virus up to date will add another layer of security to your computer. By keeping your anti-virus up to date, you can ensure that your computer has protection from the latest threats. We also know that waiting for a friend or a car service to be finished can be boring and so we check for public wi-fi as we do not want to use all our mobile data. Although connecting to public wi-fi is convenient it is also unsecure.  There is a lack of encryption, possible malware, and multiple devices connected where users can snoop into your activities.

In summary, these practices will not always be enough to keep us safe from attackers. But taking the first action to get our personal information secured on our computer is always the best exercise to do. Updating software applications from time to time, creating alphanumeric or complex password, using a two-factor authentication, and avoid connecting to public wi-fi as much as possible and use mobile data will take us step further for our computer to not be vulnerable to any unwanted threats and cyber-attacks.

Refenrences:

Is your computer secure? (2022, November 4). State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/facts/online-privacy/computer-secure

National Cybersecurity Alliance. (2023, July 16). How to tell if your computer has a virus and what to do about it. https://staysafeonline.org/online-safety-privacy-basics/how-to-tell-if-your-computer-has-a-virus-what-to-do-about-it/

Understanding anti-virus software | CISA. (n.d.). Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA. https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/understanding-anti-virus-software