Hackers, spyware and viruses are increasingly targeting private personal computers, because these types of computer systems are usually less secure than the large corporate computer servers. Let's face it, the large majority of private computer owners don't do enough to protect and secure their computer systems. Due to this lack of security, the hacker can more easily hack into these systems and many times are able to steal valuable personal information that is stored on the hard drive.
“I'm not worried about any hackers”, well you should be, because as more people start using the internet to pay bills, do banking and signup for services online, and all of that personal information that is needed to use these online services is recorded and stored on the computer's hard drive. More importantly, hackers know this and most of them realize that the majority of “Personal Computer” owners do not do enough to secure their computers and if the hacker can gain access to this personal information, then this information can be used to steal a person's identity.
The Good News is, there are 10 things that you can do to protect your computer's security and make your computer a less attractive target for hackers.
Install An Good Firewall
Installing a good firewall is the first step to defending a personal computer's security and keeping out unwanted guest. No firewall is able to prevent 100% of hacker attempts, but many really good firewalls are able to block the majority of intruders attempting to gain access to the computer's hard drive and that's a pretty good start. I use Zone Alarm Firewall by ZoneLabs and in my opinion; it does a great job protecting my computer.
Install a Anti-Virus Program
Computer viruses are infecting more and more computers around the world, because there are more people using the Internet and the majority of Internet users have not installed an anti-virus program into their computers. Installing a good anti-virus program is the second step of securing a personal computer and preventing harmful computer viruses from being able to wreak havoc on the computer's operating system. Some viruses can damage the hard drive, processor or in some extreme cases cause the computer to cease to work anymore. Viruses is a serious matter that all computer owners need to be aware of, and take steps to install a good anti-virus like AVG Anti-Virus.Install An Up-to-Date Anti-Spyware Software
Installing Anti-Spyware software into a computer will defend against the harmful affects that some spyware programs can cause to the overall security and condition of the computer system itself. Spyware is a program that is used to track Internet users when surfing the web, but some types of spyware are used to steal personal information that the Internet user has recently stored onto their computer's hard drive. Spyware can also slow the computer's operating system (Microsoft XP and Microsoft Vista are operating systems) down to a crawl making it more time-consuming to download games, watch movies online, and visit websites.Install Any Software Patches (Microsoft Operating System Users Only)
Regularly, Microsoft Corporation publishes security patches to close any backdoors found in their operating systems software on their website Microsoft.com and computer owners should check and install regularly for these most recent updates, so to better secure the computer's security integrity. Use a Pop-up Blocker
Pop-ups if anything is annoying, but when they continue to explode onto the computer screen with no end in sight, then they are downright intrusive and need to be blocked, and installing a pop-up blocker is the best line of defense for blocking pop-ups, while surfing the internet. Most Internet Service Providers (ISP) offer some type of pop-up blocker to their members as a benefit of the membership when using their service and most of these pop-up blockers are good programs to use for blocking these unwanted pop-up advertisements that appear when visiting some websites on the internet. Most Importantly: Keep Your Security Software Updated
Once you finish installing a good firewall, anti-virus software, and anti-spyware software it is very important to keep these programs updated or these programs will quickly become obsolete and will not be able to protect the computer's security as well as they were designed to do. Most software publishers will email software update alerts to inform you that there are new updates available for the software being used to protect your computer's security and a hyperlink that will direct where the software updates can be downloaded. Anytime a new software update becomes available it should be downloaded as soon as possible, so that the software can continue to operate the way it was designed to operate. Delete Any E-Mails Sent To You From A Stranger
Do not open any email that is sent to you by a stranger, because many times these emails will be infected with a virus that could be used to steal personal information or to damage the computer beyond fixing.Avoid Opening E-Mail Attachments From Strangers or Unknown Companies
Avoid opening any email attachments that was sent to you from a stranger or a company that you do not know, because viruses can be hidden within these types of attachments. Be sure to use your Anti-virus software to scan all emails and attachments for viruses, before opening any email that is sent to your mailbox, so to avoid getting a nasty computer virus or worm.Stay Away From Adult Websites and Online Gambling Websites
There are millions upon millions of good websites on the Internet that poses no threat to a computer's security, but there are some websites that can pose a great security threat to a computer's security integrity that should be avoided at all costs. Some online gambling and adult websites are infected with computer viruses and worms that can disrupt internet service and could open a backdoor in the operating system that a hacker could later use to steal personal information that is stored on the hard drive.
To avoid the damaging effects of harmful computer viruses and worms be sure to run a virus and spyware scan on your computer at least once per day, so to remove these things before they have had the chance cause any real damage to the computer's security.Install and Use a Computer Password To Protect The PC When You Are Away
Install a personal password on your computer as soon as possible, so to prevent anyone from gaining access to your computer's operating system when you are away. Most Microsoft Operating Systems (Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Microsoft XP and Microsoft Vista) are password capable and can add additional security to the computer when used.
In conclusion, the best way to protect your personal computer is to install software that will protect and defend against uninvited guests and viruses and to keep the software updated, so that the software will continue to do the job that it was designed to do.
