The world is getting more and more digitized, and so is our life. Everything is online, from our social security numbers, social media accounts, personal information, bank information, and everything that can and will be used against us. As cybercrime is on the rise, people all over the world are gathering together to fight against this plague.

Hackers are breaking even the most advanced operating systems and antivirus programs. Hence, you must ensure you use your computer with all the privacy and security measures necessary to protect yourself and your devices.

You need to protect your browsing history, credit card, and mobile devices from any data breach that can cost you even your identity. And yes, people are also stealing it these days. So, don’t use the same password for every account; turn on automatic updates in your firewall, and let’s find out what you can do to protect yourself!

Of course, it’s not an all-encompassing article, as you will encounter many issues on your pathway. Still, you will quickly realize that if you use some of our tips and tricks to keep yourself secure, you will have a much safer and better experience navigating through the beautiful world of internet and internet-connected devices as we call them these days. 

So, let’s use a password with some symbols and numbers and dig into the best ways to keep your computer secure!

But first, let’s start with the threat itself. What does it mean to have your computer attacked, and the software installed breached? In short, it essentially means that our anti-spyware software/antivirus did not work as intended, and some person on the other end got access to our files. It can mean that they can read our e-mails but also – gain access to our bank accounts and social media and see all your web traffic. 

It’s problematic on many levels, as those individuals can gain access to your resources and even you. There have been many instances where people got their whole identity compromised, with their names used to create fake passports for criminals worldwide. Here are some of the most common ways to commit cyber crimes.

Attacks

The first one is pretty obvious – attacks. To gain some notoriety in the community, extort people, steal their money, etc., people worldwide have been creating fake accounts and stealing passwords to get some personal gains. Of course, that is not their only goal to gain money, as data can be a much more exciting resource. This is the most common way for hackers to do cybercrimes, but certainly not the only one.

Ethical Hacking

Next, we have something called “ethical hacking.” This would mean all the actions of individuals or groups cracking the security fixes to help the organizations find some security holes in the systems. This is usually done with permission from the company or an organization. Sometimes, it’s also referred to as gaining access to malicious websites and getting their information compromised. This would mean hacking terrorist groups, sex criminals, and drug dealers.

Hacktivism

Next is the infamous hacktivism, where people use their computer skills to make a political or social change. A great example is the famous group Anonymous, whose members try to influence world events by publicizing sensitive information on various topics.

Experimentation

And finally, we have what’s called the “gray hat” hackers in the industry. Those people are just exploring the security systems for fun and trying to get access to increasingly sophisticated techniques. They don’t have malicious intentions, but it’s still not a legal activity and will indeed be pursued by law enforcement.

So, let’s now go over the most common threats that can harm your computer. Of course, this list is not exclusive, but there are some of the most common threats you can look out for! So, without further ado, let’s go over them!

Phishing

Let’s start with phishing. Ironically enough, this one does not require any antivirus software from you, although there is some malware protection you can use for it. Phishing means someone on the internet is trying to steal your data by simply asking for it. 

So, they would send you an e-mail from a Nigerian prince, maybe saying that you won something and need to make a deposit or just sending you a shady link to click on to receive an iPhone. Whatever it may be, the best way to protect yourself from it is by simply being alert and not clicking any weird links or visiting strange websites. So, don’t give your login details anywhere on the internet, especially not on some odd websites; always check the person you are talking to, verify their user accounts, and just – be aware of what can happen.

Malware

The same thing applies to malware, aka malicious software. It’s an umbrella term for multiple ways hackers may want to take advantage of your situation. For starters, they may send you links to websites that then install some ransomware on your computer that you must pay to get rid of. 

They usually can’t gain access to your computer without your activity, so make sure to be alert and not install any .exe files on your computer that are from unknown sources or click weird links to unknown websites. Your antivirus software should be able to detect and take most of the hits, but you will be surprised to see how many new ones are getting created each second, so take that into account.

Insider Threats

Another big thing in the hacking community is insider threats. This would include everyone from the organization who has access to the intranet and can compromise your security. This is pretty hard to fight against, as it is coming from inside of your company, so there are plenty of ways you may not even be aware that this is happening. So, just to be sure, change your passwords often, create strong passwords, and don’t give anyone unauthorized access to your computer.

DDoS Attacks

Another big thing to look out for is the DDoS Attacks. What does it mean? Well, it floods your computer, system, network, or whatnot with incredible traffic, successfully shutting it down or slowing it down. There are plenty of reasons why people do it, some more legitimate than others, but it is usually done to extort some money from the site owner.

Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks

Next up, we have the Man-in-the-Middle attacks. Those are all the security breaches from intercepting the communication between two systems that none of the involved know of. It is usually done to extract some sensitive information, try to eavesdrop, and such.

Ransomware

And finally, we have the ransomware. It is one of the most common cyber attacks these days that, unfortunately, target mostly the most vulnerable people, usually older citizens who are not tech-savvy and don’t understand the inner workings of computers. 

So, the hackers use their lack of knowledge to gain access to their computer and demand a ransom in exchange for giving the access back to the owner. The best way to fight this phenomenon is to spread awareness among the most sensitive targets and always check the credentials of the person calling or sending us e-mails or messages.

So now that we know all there is about what kind of attacks can await us, let’s go over how we can keep our computers safe. Whether this would mean getting some security updates, finding new passwords to our financial accounts, or just keeping our external devices safe from identity theft, you can do plenty of things to ensure that you are secure online. 

Of course, we cannot ensure that nothing will happen to you if you do all of those things, but those are some of the best practices to keep in mind while creating a safe and secure online and computer environment. With that being said, let’s go over some of the ways that you can ensure your computer security.

Before we delve into the details of the antivirus program, virtual private network options, or hardware firewall, let’s first talk about the importance of getting legal software for your computer. Internet traffic is a total of websites and people who do not have the best intentions. 

And the best way to start your security practices is to use the legal software version. First of all – using pirated software is illegal and can cost you a lot of money and even jail time in some cases. Secondly, using pirated software benefits the hackers who are involved in the distribution of it. And finally – it lessens your ability to stay secure and safe against hacking and cyber threats. We will get into more detail later in this article. 

Additionally, getting legal software is not expensive, especially with all the critical resellers on the market. You can get MS Office and MS Windows for an affordable price these days and ensure your computer's security.

Updates

Let’s start with something not as obvious – security updates. As you may have noticed, keeping your computer safe is mostly done by creating roadblocks for potential attackers. Whether this means installing antivirus software or disk encryption, you can do plenty of things to keep your computer and network free of attacks. 

But, what you cannot do is foresee the threats that are not yet real. So, be sure to update your antivirus and anti-malware software constantly. We cannot stress enough how important it is to be up to date with all the potential attacks. Only this way will you be able to utilize any of the other solutions to your security problems.

Strong Password

Additionally, be sure to create a strong password. Although some people think hackers can just overcome our password without typing it in, it’s usually not the case. And what is true, though, on the other hand, like in movies, you can guess pretty much everyone’s password with not that many tries. People tend to create passwords based on something familiar to them, like birthdays or pet names. Consider using complex passwords with at least eight characters, symbols, and lower and upper case letters. Or – use a password manager on your phone to keep them all in a key chain if you have too many passwords to remember.

Two-Factor Authentication

Another big thing is the two-factor authentication. It’s especially important with banking. Here, you will have to double-check every action in order to let it through. So, you will get a notification on your mobile device, for example, if someone is trying to access your e-mail, Facebook, or YouTube channel. By utilizing those tools, you lower the chance of someone getting access to your data without you even knowing.

Firewall

Another big thing in the security department is firewall protection. Most operating systems have it installed by default. It protects your computer, network, and Wi-Fi from any attacks or data breaches. It also monitors the traffic to your computer so that you will be able to see any hacking attempts at a moment's notice. If you want to protect your financial information, work computers, or data in general, you need to have a firewall installed. You can use the built-in firewall in your operating system or download one from reputable websites. We have a wide variety of antivirus software for you to check out!

Physical Access

And finally – be sure to have your computer protected from any potential physical access. This could mean not leaving the password to your security software just lying on top of your computer and not leaving your computer logged in if you don’t have the knowledge that your system will not be available to use. You should protect your computer from online access and the physical one as well. It’s extremely easy for someone to just install something on your computer, visit certain websites that they should avoid, or just create a prank that can have dire consequences. If you want to prevent hackers from getting access to your computer, you should look at other threats as well.

Be Aware

Just simply – be aware of all the issues you could face. For starters, there are plenty of people trying to phish out your login credentials, by creating a fake website like eBay or Amazon, where you put your data without second guessing yourself. 

Sometimes, people connect to public Wi-Fi and use the remember this network button, essentially allowing the network to connect at any time with your device, and gaining access to your data. 

Of course, there will always be new methods that people will use trying to scam others, so just keep that in mind and always check the credentials of the website/people you are talking to online or on the phone.

So, whether you are installing software on your personal devices, or in your work – following tips should help you in creating more safe and secure environments. Of course, you will not be able to completely stop hackers from taking advantage of any security loopholes that they will find, but at least you will do the best you can. And in most cases – that’s enough.

Thanks for stopping by! If you liked this article, check out other ones on our site. We have a lot of those, so we are sure that you will find something to your liking. That’s it for today, stay safe, and we will see you in the next one.