5 Quick Steps To Protect Your Computer From Hackers
Posted by Nancy Walker on Fri, Oct 21, 2011 @ 02:21 PM
“Cyberspace should be viewed as the 'fifth battlespace', alongside the more traditional arenas of land, air, sea and space".
- Chatham House Cyber Security Report 2010
In 2010, security giant Symantec reported that the number of malware attacks more than doubled than that in 2008, with more than 286 million being reported. A decade ago, a hacker would usually have intended a single virus to reach millions of people, but now hackers are able to be more specific about who they target and receive more “bang for their buck”.
Now while there is no full-proof way to ensure that your computer and/or network is 100% protected against hacking, there are five surefire steps you can take to reduce the vulnerability of your system.
1. Anti-Virus Protection: Malware (viruses, Trojan horse, worms, etc) are designed to do all sorts of damage to your computer, including disabling your firewall and with new ones being developed daily, having a good Anti-Virus program on your system will help protect you against such attacks. Also be sure to keep it updated, so it can recognize the latest versions.
2. Anti-Spyware Protection: Spyware programs are for the most part are placed on your system so that a hacker can collect bits of information without your knowledge. A good Anti-Spyware program, which is kept updated, can keep such snoopers off your system.
3. Firewall Protection: A Firewall is your first line of defense against hackers. It is designed to block unauthorized and unwanted traffic from getting into your computer and/or system. Most operating systems included a firewall, but always check to make sure that it is turned on, because leaving a firewall off, is like leaving your front door open at night.
4. Password Protection: When creating passwords for your system, avoid using publicly available information, such as your name, date of birth, or mother’s maiden name. Also, use different passwords for every on-line account or website, this way if one account is hacked, the others won’t be available to the hacker.
5. Don’t Open Any E-mail or E-mail Attachments From An Unknown Source: Always delete e-mails from senders you don’t recognize because they may contain malicious software intended to wreak havoc. Although many anti-virus programs included built-in e-mail filters, it’s always safe to avoid opening an e-mail or e-mail attachment from anyone you don’t know.
Following these five steps will greatly reduce the probability that your computer and/or network will be hacked, but don’t think that you are 100% safe from an attack. There are new ways of getting into a system created every day by hackers and it’s up to you to continue to keep your system safe.
Avoid downloading and installing any programs or files on your system without first running them through your anti-virus and anti-spyware programs. Never turn off the automatic update feature on your computer and be sure to keep your system up-to-date. This avoids giving hackers the ability to find security loopholes in your system.
In the event that your system is compromised, having a reliable back-up in place will ensure that your data remains safe and will avoid any costly measures that would have to take place to retrieve your data.
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