There are three things you can always count on continually improving in the tech world —computer hardware, user accessibility, and cyber threat sophistication. You’re not immune from that last one just because you’re an ordinary user! Hackers won’t hesitate to exploit any weakness in your cyber defenses to ransack your computer for valuable information or even repurpose it for their shady needs.
Follow our step-by-step guide and make your computer too tough to be worth the effort!
1. Enable Automatic Updates
The first, easiest, and most effective way to safeguard your computer is to check whether automatic updates are on. Keeping your operating system current is a must. The same goes for any installed programs. The former likely already receive automatic updates, but double-check to be safe. Most programs will do the same, but you might need to enable updates in the settings for some.
2. Make Sure You’re Using a Firewall
The firewall is a classic yet fundamental security tool that regulates outgoing and incoming traffic. It can prevent you from accidentally visiting harmful sites, significantly decreasing the chance of malware infection and harmful network activity. Most operating systems include a built-in firewall, which you can customize further. Some Linux distributions might need you to install one manually. Do so ASAP if you haven’t already done so.
3. Set Up Anti-Malware & Antivirus Software
While modern operating systems integrate competent cybersecurity tools, some threats can slip through the cracks. Install trusted anti-malware and antivirus software to detect and quarantine such threats. Be sure to schedule regular deep scans when you’re not using the computer to maintain its health.
4. Encrypt & Back Up Important Data
Following this guide will drastically reduce the number and severity of threats you’re likely to face. Even so, part of a responsible cybersecurity routine is realizing that no countermeasure is perfect. You might fall victim to a ransomware attack, or a power surge could disrupt data and damage key components.
Encrypting important files converts them into nonsense only accessible via the right decryption key. Someone can still steal them, but the contents remain hidden and useless. Meanwhile, backups let you restore damaged or lost files and get up to speed in no time. Keep one backup on an external drive and another in the cloud for extra effectiveness.
5. Start Using Strong Passwords
Between school, work, and fun, you’re likely accessing more than a dozen password-protected accounts daily. There’s not much protection if the password is easy to guess, and even less so if you use the same one or have slight variations for multiple accounts. Password managers eliminate such oversights.
Whether you are a regular internet user, an employee in a company, or a member of a nonprofit, password managers make life easier for everybody. They automate password creation, storage, and entering. It takes seconds to replace dozens of potentially compromised passwords with unique and unguessable ones. You only need to remember a master password while the manager does the rest. You can even sync it between devices or securely share passwords.
6. Secure Accounts with Two-Factor Authentication
2FA is an extra step that prevents someone who’s managed to get a hold of your password from actually getting into an account. The service usually requires you to link a smartphone. It sends a confirmation code to the phone whenever someone tries to log in from a new location.
Receiving the code out of the blue is a good indicator of compromised credentials. It also lets you know it’s time to change the affected account’s login details and prevent it from being taken over. You’re likely already using 2FA if you’re a gamer, but you should implement it for all important accounts. Good password managers offer 2FA as a built-in feature.
7. Learn More about Online Security Best Practices
A computer’s security is only as strong as the weakest link, which happens to be the user in most cases. Education is among the most important steps, but it’s crucial for decreasing exposure and making yourself a tougher target. Read up on phishing, social engineering, and the most common social media scams to recognize and avoid such threats.
Part of making yourself inconspicuous is reducing your online footprint. The less personally identifiable information there is on you, the harder it becomes to trace you or pull off a successful false impersonation.
You can do much by combing through your social media posts and removing content that could expose your location, give clues about your passwords and security question answers, etc.
It will also be difficult to remove the potentially extensive information data brokers or people search sites already possess on your own. Consider enlisting a reliable data removal service to remove such information efficiently on your behalf.
