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Essential Guide to PC Security

By: Paige Price

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While having a computer and Internet connection opens a universe of new opportunities, it also opens a security risk. The eye-opening fact is that with over 140 000 known computer viruses and 85 million spam emails sent out each day, the risk of coming into contact with malware such as viruses, worms and spyware is almost guaranteed. Once your PC becomes infected, it’s functioning can become extremely hampered, much less the threat of your personal information being compromised.

From installing essential security software to modifying your internet behaviour, the following top tips offer fundamental safety measures to help keep your PC secure from infection attacks.

Raise the firewall

A firewall is like a protective shell around your PC, which identifies and blocks threats while letting secure information pass through. This filtering system between your computer and the internet is the first step in malware prevention. Those with Windows XP already have one built into their operating system; it simply needs to be activated in your security settings. For those who don’t use XP, there is a wealth of providers on the marketplace to choose from.

Install anti virus software

Despite a firewall, malware has an insidious way of entering your PC below the radar, such as though malicious emails and file downloads. For this reason it is crucial to install and update good quality anti virus protection to root out and delete infections, including scanning email attachments before you open them. While firewalls protect your computer from the outside, this security measure works to destroy threats inside your operating system.

Run anti spyware software

These days, the fact is that the most common form of malware encountered by internet users is spyware – a recent study found that approximately 9 in 10 PC’s were infected. While spyware takes many forms, the most common types are those that cause unsolicited pop-ups, those that monitor your internet activity for marketing advantages or those that route your internet requests to different, suspect websites. There are a range of spyware removal products available and installing this type of protection is a huge help in maintaining the health of your computer.

Secure your web browser

The browser you use to access the internet is a major security risk to your PC. Hackers target your computer by finding flaws in the browser or its plug-ins, which can then be used to download malware without you being aware of it. Internet Explorer is subject to the highest rate of this kind of attack, so it’s advisable to use other browsers such as Opera or Mozilla Firefox instead. If IE is your preference however, you are strongly advised to change your security setting from ‘default’ to ‘high’ and specify which sites are trustworthy enough to bypass your browser security filter.

Update software

The majority of viruses are concentrated on the Windows platform. Run automatic updates for new Windows XP patches as they are released by Microsoft since these are remedies to weaknesses in the operating system which hackers seek out to exploit.

Take care when downloading

Getting something for nothing is generally too good to be true –this relates strongly to free internet downloads. Spammers tend to disguise malware in programs they offer for free on the web. By agreeing to download, the infection can bypass your firewall and anti virus software. If you download torrents or other peer-to-peer programs, always scan the received files for viruses.

Guard against email risks

Emailing has inherent security weaknesses since hackers and spammers can reach your inbox and thus your PC directly. Make sure your email client is of good quality, meaning they provide sound email attachment scanning and good spam filtering. Bear in mind that approximately 90% of viruses enter your PC through email attachments so be careful when downloading them. It’s a good idea to maintain a strict policy of not opening attachments if you don’t know the sender and also be aware that even if a friend sends an attachment, if their PC is infected it can pass onto your computer. It should also go without saying that any email you receive which asks for your personal and financial details is to be deleted since legitimate companies would not ask for your private details in this way.

Protect your passwords

Hackers use a variety of effective methods to guess your passwords and gain access to your personal information. It’s advisable to keep your passwords at least 7 characters long with a mix of uppercase and lowercase numbers and letters. Also try to change your passwords regularly to always stay one step ahead of online criminals.

The above tips will significantly increase your PC protection. If you’re still concerned about malware infections, it can also be a good idea to get expert IT Help so that any computer security weaknesses you have are firmly tightened.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Michael Preston – IT Consultant and expert in anti virus protection

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