Five Ways to protect your PC from Hackers

So how can you protect yourself?

1)   Install anti-virus
The first and most obvious step to take, is to protect your systems with good anti-virus (AV) software, routers and firewalls. Make sure you choose an AV solution that protects you from malware as well as viruses and KEEP IT UPDATED! Viruses are changing all the time, so to ensure the best level of protection you need to keep your AV software current.

2)   Keep passwords secure
Make your passwords secure by changing them regularly. Avoid easily guessed words such as “Password123” and increase the complexity by using a combination of upper and lower case letters, and alphanumeric characters. And don’t use the same password across multiple applications or websites – it may make them easier to remember, but you’re spreading the risk if you do get compromised. Also try not to use a dictionary word as they are very quickly guessed!

 3)   Lockdown your Wi-Fi
Too many people fail to protect their wireless networks. And of those that do attempt security, many fail to do it effectively. Avoid WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) security algorithms which are easily hacked, and go for WPA/WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access) which is far more effective. If you have to give your wireless key out to visitors, change it afterwards or even better, set up a separate public Wi-Fi network that doesn’t allow access to your company data.

4)   Beware your online profile
In this day and age, many of us live out a large proportion of our lives online. But beware – hackers will be watching. Be mindful of what you post online – especially on the social network sites. If you don’t want your private life made public, lockdown your profiles. Facebook has detailed privacy settings, but make sure they are turned on as the default setting is to leave profiles open.

5)   Watch what you click
Hackers will use varying ways to tempt you into clicking onto their malware, so you need to keep your wits about you. Dubious looking online adverts often link through to malware infested websites which can log your keystrokes or turn your PC into a bot that attacks networks on the hackers behalf, but from your IP address. And you wouldn’t know it was happening. Don’t download any program if you don’t know what it is, and never click on an email attachment containing an executable program (.exe, .com, or .vbs.)