No system is completely safe from hackers, and even the most secure data can be at risk. However, with the volume of information that we put online today and the amount of transactions people complete on a daily basis over the internet, taking extra steps to protect yourself from being a victim of computer hackers is critical.
Understand the Risks
The only
way to completely protect yourself from online hackers would be to disconnect
from the internet entirely. For most people, this is unrealistic, given the
volume of information that we exchange online every single day. From online
banking and bill pay to email accounts, social media, and shopping, we spend a
lot of time online. The next best thing is to understand the risks so you can
minimize your exposure without cutting yourself off from the cyber world
completely.
Keep AntiVirus Software Updated
One of the
best steps you can take to protect from needing excessive credit repair or
computer repair after a hacking incident is to have current antivirus software,
and keep it updated. You can often go into your software and set it to
automatically update, or at least to alert you when there are updates available
if you prefer to do it manually.
Change Your Passwords
With so
many different sites that we use today, it can seem convenient to use the same
password for all your accounts. While this does make it easy to remember, it
also makes it really easy for a hacker to get into several different accounts
and do extensive damage. Most hackers will not be able to hack every account
you have, or find every password that you create, but if they can find one
password and it translates to several different sites, they can quickly drain
your accounts, install viruses, and generally wreak havoc on your cyber life.
If you
would like to make your passwords easy to remember, have one phrase or idea
that you base your passwords on, then create several variations of that idea to
make different passwords. Use numbers, symbols, and capitol/lowercase letters
to mix it up and make it harder to guess. You can also create a spreadsheet or
other log of all your passwords, but you need to protect that sheet with a
separate password and ensure that you have adequate security to protect it,
otherwise all your efforts will be in vain.
Don’t Share Everything
People
often come to Computer Fix Salt Lake City after experiencing devastating
effects from hackers and viruses on their computer, despite efforts to keep
passwords and website safe. They may not even realize that they are making it
easy for computer hackers to find their information through over-sharing on
social media sites. People often use names of children, pets, maiden names, and
other similar information for passwords because it’s easy to remember. If you
have that information readily available on your social media sites, it can be
easy for a hacker to guess your passwords just by surfing your sites. If you’re
going to include that info on your profile, just make sure it’s adequately
protected with privacy controls.
Shop Smart
If you plan
to shop online (and many people do, because it’s convenient and easy), be
careful about what information you leave behind. The more retailers you store
information with, the more chances you have to be hacked. Instead, find sites
that let you store your information in just one place and use it at several retailers
online, or work with your bank to get a special “online debit card” that can be
reloaded easily and quickly when you want to make a purchase, but that is not
connected to the rest of your finances. That way if it does get hacked, all
your cash is not vulnerable.
The online world is a great place to share and find information, and has many benefits. It also has many pitfalls for someone who is not careful about when and how they spend time online. Use these tips to protect yourself from computer hackers online.
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