5 Tips to protect your computer

Internet-connected devices are part of our everyday lives. We go online for pretty much every aspect of our lives such as information, work, shop, banks, games, and socializing with family and friends. As a consequence, our devices contain a massive amount of information that we want to protect.
It is our responsibility as individuals to take measures to protect our computers and any other devices from malicious software and viruses.

The following tips aim to help you lower your risk while you are online.

1. Keep up-to-date

   It is recommended to update your system, browser and apps regularly. These updates prevent hackers to take advantage of possible software flaws to view your activity or steal your information. For example, Windows Update is a service offered by Microsoft for your computer. Make sure that updates are set to be automatically downloaded and installed or you are notified.

2. Install an antivirus software

   It is very important to have reliable protection, either you are connected to the internet or not. Antivirus software like this one, scans your device for viruses and deletes anything malicious. Make sure your antivirus program is updated and adjust the settings for regular scans.

3. Use strong passwords

   Passwords protect our accounts from intruders. Try to use strong passwords with at least eight characters, a combination of letters, numbers and special characters. Don’t use a word personally related to you, such as a birthday and never use the same password twice, especially for bank accounts. The most common passwords that are easily guessed are “password,” 123456, and 12345678. In addition, you may enable the two-factor authenticator available in some apps/ accounts to ensure you only have access to your data.

4. Be careful what you click

   Don’t open suspicious attachments or click unusual links in messages. Be careful since they can appear in emails, tweets, posts, ads or messages.

5. Don’t use external devices unless they belong to you

   Avoid infection by malware and viruses by making sure that you don’t use USBs or other external devices that are not yours or don’t come from a reliable source.