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Protecting your computer is essential for keeping your personal, business, and financial information safe. Fortunately, securing your computer is quite simple if you follow the right security measures. Using strong passwords and setting up verification processes will make it harder for others or malicious software to impersonate you and access your data. Additionally, using protective software can help prevent hackers, viruses, and malware from infiltrating your system. Alongside protective software, encryption and adhering to safety guidelines will further secure your data when using the internet.
Steps to Follow
Use Protective Software
Install antivirus software to secure your computer. Antivirus software is a security tool designed to protect your computer from viruses, spyware, malware, and other online threats. It’s important to purchase and install reliable antivirus software on your computer.
- Popular antivirus programs include Avast, AVG, McAfee, and Symantec.
- Set the software to automatic scan mode to ensure your computer remains free from viruses and malware.
- Many antivirus programs can also block ads and spam from websites, providing added protection while you browse the internet.
Enable the firewall to filter information from the internet. A firewall is a program that monitors the information being downloaded from the internet to your computer, blocking harmful programs. Open the Control Panel on your computer and navigate to the 'System and Security' menu. Click on the Windows Firewall shortcut and ensure it is activated.
- The built-in Windows firewall is just as effective as the firewall in antivirus software.
- Ensure your computer is connected to the internet when you enable the firewall for it to connect properly.
- If you can't find the shortcut, search for 'firewall' in the 'System and Security' search bar.
Tip: If your antivirus software includes a firewall, it’s best to use that one for seamless integration with the antivirus program.
Use anti-malware software to clean your computer. While firewalls and antivirus software are designed to protect your computer from infection, they can’t remove viruses or malware that have already infiltrated your system. You’ll need anti-malware software to clean your system after an attack or infection. Download the program and periodically scan your computer for harmful software.
- Common anti-malware programs include Spybot Search & Destroy and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.
- Schedule regular scans to check for spyware, malware, and viruses.
Encrypt your data
Choose 'Always use HTTPS' in Gmail. To ensure Gmail always uses a secure HTTPS connection, click the gear icon at the top right. Scroll down to the 'General' tab. In the general settings menu, select 'Always use HTTPS'.
- Once the setting is saved, Gmail will always use HTTPS for secure connections.
- Your Gmail contains a lot of important and private information; ensure it’s protected with an HTTPS connection.
Enable HTTPS connection for Facebook. To enable HTTPS on Facebook, click the downward arrow at the top right of the screen and select 'Account Settings'. In the account settings menu, click on 'Security' to view additional options. Under 'Secure Browsing', check the box that says 'Browse Facebook on a secure connection (https) when possible' to enable the setting.
- Viruses and malware can infect your computer via your Facebook account.
Install the HTTPS Everywhere extension for your browser. When using browsers like Google Chrome, Opera, or Firefox, you can add an extension that forces an encrypted connection whenever you visit a website. If the site supports HTTPS, your browser will automatically switch to a secure connection. Download and add the extension to your browser.
- Visit https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere to download the extension.
Tip: After installing the extension, make sure to enable it by clicking the icon that appears in the corner of your browser window.
Protect your Wi-Fi connection with a VPN service. If you log into a public Wi-Fi network or someone else's connection, your computer could be at risk from hackers, viruses, and malware. A VPN service encrypts your data, securing your computer so you can safely browse the internet.
- Some popular VPN services include Tunnel Bear, Cyber Ghost, and ProtonVPN.
- Many VPN services charge a monthly fee for encryption services.
- Search online for free VPN services as well.
Use HTTPS connections on websites to safeguard your computer. HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is an encrypted web connection that your browser uses when you access a website. You can tell if a website uses HTTPS by looking for 'https:' at the beginning of the web address in your browser’s address bar.
- Many websites use HTTPS to protect your computer from viruses and malware.
Set up a secure password protection system
Enable Two-step Verification for your Windows account. Open your browser and log into your account on the Microsoft website. Look for the security settings at the top of the page and click on it to open the menu. Once the security menu expands, locate the option for “Two-step Verification.” Click on that option to activate the feature.
- Log in to your account at https://account.microsoft.com/profile.
- The two-step verification system provides an additional way to confirm that you are the rightful user of your account, which increases the overall security of your device.
- You don't need Outlook or other Windows applications to set up the two-step verification system.
Tip: To add a second verification step, you'll need a device or email to receive a code that verifies your identity. Enter a phone number if you prefer to receive the code via text message or provide an email address to receive it by email.
Download an authentication app to secure the apps you use. Install an authentication app on your smartphone or tablet to avoid having to receive codes via text or email each time you want to verify your identity when accessing an app or account. Add all the apps you use to this authentication app so you can easily verify your identity and protect the apps.
- Popular authentication apps include Google Authenticator, Authy, and LastPass.
- Add your social media accounts to the authentication app for an extra layer of security.
Use a password manager to track your passwords. Password managers not only store and track your passwords but also allow you to create and use high-security, unique passwords every time you sign up for a new account on a website or app. When logging in, you can use the password creation feature to generate, copy, and paste the password into the login field.
- Some password managers come with browser extensions that automatically fill in passwords.
- Popular password managers include LastPass, 1Password, and Dashlane.
- You may need to pay a monthly or annual subscription to use some password managers.
Link your phone number to your Google account to activate 2-Step Verification. Google uses a two-factor authentication system called 2-Step Verification to enhance your account's security. Go to your account's security settings in your browser and add your smartphone to activate it. You will receive a code via text message, phone call, or an authentication app.
- Download the Google Authenticator app from your app store after enabling 2-Step Verification to generate verification codes even without an internet connection.
Adjust your Facebook settings to set up two-factor authentication. To improve the security of your Facebook account, navigate to the 'Security and Login' menu under your account settings. Click 'Edit' on the right of the 'Two-Factor Authentication' option to select how you’d like to receive the second verification step. You can either receive a code by text message or use an authentication app.
- Your Facebook account not only holds a wealth of personal information but can also be a gateway for hackers or malicious software to infiltrate your device.
Follow safety guidelines
Update your computer. One important task is to ensure your computer has the latest tools and updates to stay secure. Open Windows Update in the Control Panel and click 'Check for Updates.' Then, proceed to install any available updates.
- Some updates may take an hour or more, especially if you haven’t updated your system in a while.
- Restart your computer once the update process is complete for the updates to take effect.
Scan email attachments before opening them. Even if an email comes from someone you know, it could be a phishing attack where a hacker impersonates one of your contacts to gain access to your email and computer. Right-click on any attachment and choose to scan it manually to ensure your safety.
Lời khuyên: Không bao giờ mở tập tin đính kèm trong email được gửi từ người hoặc công ty lạ.
Vô hiệu hóa hình ảnh trong email để tăng độ bảo mật. Nhiều chương trình độc hại tận dụng các lỗ hổng để giành quyền truy cập email và máy tính của bạn. Để tránh các phần mềm không mong muốn, bạn nên vô hiệu hóa hình ảnh trong email mà bạn nhận được. Hãy vào phần cài đặt tài khoản trong email và chọn hỏi trước khi email hiển thị hình ảnh.
- Đối với Gmail, bạn sẽ nhấp vào phần cài đặt ở phía trên góc phải màn hình. Chọn cài đặt email và nhấp vào ô “Hỏi trước khi hiển thị nội dung bên ngoài”.
Chặn phần mềm độc hại bằng cách sử dụng tài khoản Windows không có quyền quản trị. Nếu bạn có thể thiết lập máy tính mà không cần thay đổi bất kỳ cài đặt nào, bạn đang sử dụng tài khoản quản trị viên - đây là nguyên nhân khiến máy tính có nguy cơ bị tấn công. Chọn “Manage another account” (Quản lý tài khoản khác) trong trình đơn User Accounts (Tài khoản người dùng) và tạo tài khoản mới. Chọn “Standard User” (Người dùng tiêu chuẩn) khi bạn tạo tài khoản.
- Sử dụng tài khoản tiêu chuẩn để tăng mức độ bảo mật cho máy tính.
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Tránh các trang không có HTTPS trong phần địa chỉ. Nếu trang web có vẻ đáng nghi hoặc yêu cầu bạn nhập thông tin cá nhân, bạn nên tránh truy cập để bảo vệ máy tính khỏi bị xâm nhập. Dấu hiệu rõ rệt cho biết trang web không an toàn là không có phần HTTPS trong địa chỉ web.
- Không phải trang web nào không có HTTPS trong phần địa chỉ cũng nguy hiểm, nhưng chúng chưa được mã hóa, nên bạn cần tránh nhập thông tin cá nhân hoặc tài chính vào đó để đảm bảo an toàn.
