How can you tell if your computer is safe?
If a computer is compromised then personal information could be shared to the wrong individuals, resulting in identity theft, loss of money, or doxing. Additionally, if a computer is compromised, the computer could be damaged or destroyed- and not many people want to have to buy another computer. For individuals, this can be concerning. But for companies, the safety of their computers is crucial to the success, integrity, and authenticity of their business. After all, the safety of one’s computer should be their primary concern.
So how can someone tell if their computer is safe?
- Anti-virus software: By having an anti-virus software downloaded, you can ensure that their computers are protected from a majority of threats. By running the program daily or weekly, you can scan for potential threats by finding them sooner rather than later. But, a majority of threats, why not all? Infosecurity Magazine claims “360 thousand new variants of malware are released into the world every single day”. So, it’s difficult to keep up with the ever expanding complexity of malware. Anti-virus software uses technology to protect from a majority, so it’s better than not having protection at all.
- Manual scanning: Before downloading a file and placing it one your computer, try tracing the contents of the file for malware or dangerous content. There are companies out there such as Norton and Kaspersky that offer this feature. By checking before downloading, you could save yourself a world of trouble.
- Update: By not updating everything, systems and apps, there is room for vulnerabilities and for the wrong people to get past and compromise your computer. Updates ensure that the system is protected to the highest ability during that time.
- Change passwords: An easy, yet sure fire method, to avoiding compromise of any information is change passwords regularly. Every six months at the least. Additionally, using uncommon words, numbers, and symbols will secure the password and make it difficult to decrypt.
- Firewalls: Whether it’s external or internal, by using firewalls and secure networks, you can ensure that your computer is heavily guarded from potential external attacks. Using public wifi that isn’t encrypted is an invitation for the wrong people to enter your computer.
- Smart clicking: At the end of the day, malware enters due to human error. The best protection against malware is yourself, so as long as you are being smart about where you click and what links you enter, it’s likely that your computer is safe. Avoid phishing emails, sketchy websites, torrents, unauthorized downloads, and stick to safe, secure websites.
By doing all of these things and taking extra precaution when browsing the internet, it’s highly unlikely that your computer will be compromised. Some sort of action needs to be taken in order for that to happen, and staying on your toes is the best way to know your computer is safe.