With every passing day, our computers become more and more important in our everyday lives. This goes beyond the running of business and office duties to even personal engagements on the side.
With such growing dependency on computer systems also comes the fear of virus attacks and how they can make our files go away in one fell swoop.
Besides viruses, there are a lot of other malware attacks and attempts to be on the lookout for. With Windows being the most widely-used operating system on PCs right now, we have developed a guide that will ensure your Windows PC is kept as safe and secure against these attacks as possible.
Backup Always
Backups are the first step to take if you want to protect your computer against any form of attack at all.
A backup gives you peace of mind that you have your files stored away safely even if something were to happen. Likewise, you will be less affected by these attacks if you have a backup to fall back on.
The ideal thing to do here is to create two copies of the backup files, storing one online and keeping the other offline.
Update Windows
Your PC might be running the latest version of Windows (Windows 10) and still not be on the recent version of the same software. For those who get updates on their mobile phones, this is the same thing as getting an update on your current OS which doesn’t necessarily bump you up to another OS.
Now that we have that settled, what makes an update important?
Software developers sometimes find vulnerabilities and bugs in their creations which could make it easy for someone with the same knowledge to exploit your system and get access to your data. It would be in your best interests to make sure your PC stays updated at every time.
Get a Firewall
As the name implies, this creates a wall between you (your computer) and an attack that could be coming your way. To put things in context, a firewall is not a physical wall but some lines of code that does the same function within the computer.
With an active firewall, you can be sure of protection against viruses, ransomware attacks, worms, and such other malware.
For those who are running on the latest version of Windows 10, this software comes bundled with its own firewall. Simply look for the Windows Defender and activate your firewall from there.
Install a VPN
Securing your computer takes into account making sure your data is on lockdown not only when you are offline, but when you are online too. In fact, online attacks are the most frequent of the bunch, and you would do well to get some protection against them.
If you don’t believe us, just read up on how much you could be left exposed from man in the middle attacks, browser fingerprinting, traffic monitoring and so much more.
Fortunately, you can get some security against these attacks too. Installing a VPN that has been specially designed for Windows will help encapsulate your internet data whenever you are online, making it nearly impossible to deanonymize you or track your activities around the web.
Download an Antivirus
Many people confuse the functions of antivirus with that of a VPN. If you are one of such people, now might be a good time to know how different they are.
While a VPN will protect you against people looking to track you and your internet traffic, an antivirus is there to ensure your system is rid of the malware. Likewise, an antivirus comes in handy when you are opening links or attachments in your email which might be considered dangerous – but you wouldn’t have known otherwise.
Finally, an antivirus is the best way to get rid of malware which might already be existing on your system without your knowledge.
Be Informed
Above all other things, staying informed yourself is a good measure to keep your Windows PC safe from attacks. Know how a lot of these hacking and information infiltration techniques work, and you will be able to stay ahead of the curve, more times than not.
For example, desist from opening links and attachments in emails that you don’t trust their sending party. The same is applicable for websites that might not have a solid trust rating.
If you feel you have been subjected to these attacks in the past, you might want to back up your computer before wiping everything and starting afresh. Alternatively, run malware scans from time to time with a trusted antivirus to ensure everything is running like it is supposed to.
Wrap Up
Alone, the above tips are great. Together, they are even much better.
If you do care about your privacy and security, you should get started on everything we have stated up there today.
Thanks to Jeff Anderson
Communications @TechWarn.com
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