Edward Swift - Five tips to keep your PC secure

With anything you do, there’s always a risk. Whether it’s a big business decision, buying a house, and even logging on to the computer. But there are things you can do to mitigate that risk. So here are five tips to reduce the risk and help keep your PC secure.

Beware of viruses

There’s nothing worse than getting the flu. It keeps you in bed for days, sometimes weeks. Getting a computer virus is just as bad – you’re having to spend time removing the virus, and sometimes you can be left without your computer as it gets repaired.

The best way to keep protected from viruses is to install an antivirus program and scan your computer regularly. There are some great paid ones out there like Norton Anitvirus which comes pre-installed on most new computers and will do an awesome job at keeping you safe. But if you’re looking for something free I’d recommend AVG Free. You can choose to get the paid version if you want the extra features, but the free version is just as good to keep secure.

Don’t install toolbars

So you’ve downloaded a piece of software from the net and it’s asked you if you want to install an optional toolbar. Unless you know exactly what it does and the toolbar is from a trusted brand, I’d recommend choosing not to install it. Same if you see a pop up window or an ad about a toolbar – don’t do it. While there are some legitimately useful and safe toolbars out there, there are plenty that are riddled with spyware and trojans (a type of virus). If you don’t know it, don’t trust it.

Passwords

Did you know the most popular password in 2013 was ‘123456’, and that the second most popular password was ‘password’? Make sure that you have a secure password. The best ones have upper and lower case letters as well as numbers and symbols. On top of that, never share your password with anyone and make different passwords for every PC and website you use. If hackers get hold of your password and you use it for everything, then they’ll have access to your email, Facebook, online banking – you name it.

If it’s too good to be true, it’s too good to be true

We’ve all had those emails from a Nigerian agency claiming our third cousin has died and we’ve inherited $1,004,482,424. Or perhaps you’ve seen a pop up saying you’re the 1,000,000th visitor and you’ve won a prize. If it’s too good to be true, it’s probably too good to be true.  Also be aware if you get an email from your bank asking you to verify your identity or password, call your bank (using the number on the website, not the email) and verify that it’s a legitimate email from them. Scams involving your bank or occasionally the IRD are becoming more commonplace, so be wary.

Back up your data

There’s nothing worse than completely losing all your documents, let alone all your photos and videos of family and friends. The best protection is to back up your files regularly so you don’t lose those precious memories. These days you can get a 1 terabyte hard drive for as little as $120 from any electronics shop. On top of that, it’s recommended to have a second backup of your files stored in a different location. Then if (heaven forbid) your house is robbed or burnt down you’ve still got a copy of your important files to put on a new computer.

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