How to make your PC secure from all the threats in the online world and
improve cyber security? Not sure? Then read on. Here is a list of
things you should know to improve your online cyber security:-
1.
Anti-virus : Probably, one
of the first thing which comes into one's mind when thinking about
security. An anti-virus is an inevitable tool for the security of a PC.
One can either choose a paid version of the anti-virus of his choice or
opt for the equally effective free antivirus (only for private users).
Before choosing the anti-virus, it is necessary to check whether the
anti-virus has resident protection or not. Resident Protection
automatically detects
viruses
when they are loaded into the memory and takes the appropriate action.
Thus saving a user from sitting hours in front of the PC scanning viruses. It is important to check regularly for updates. Also do a quick scan (scanning
Windows folder,
registry,
documents and recent
downloads) at least once a week and a full scan at least once a month, even if your PC appears fine.
2.
Anti-spyware: A spyware is a
program which collects private information and sends it to its
programmer. Spywares are considered more dangerous than viruses as they steal private information like Windows registration number,
bank accounts,
credit card's information, site logins, which can be used to harm a
user in all possible ways. Login Accounts to social networks like
Facebook and Orkut seem to be the prime target. Thus, it is necessary
to have a good anti-spyware software with resident protection ,registry
monitoring and browser monitoring. Again it is the user's choice to
either opt for a paid one or for a free one. It is important to enable
the
automatic update function
in the anti-spyware software and to do a quick scan of the PC once a
week. It is also necessary do a full scan once every month for best
results.
3.
Firewall: A firewall prevents unauthorized or malicious
applications from reaching
a computer.
A firewall is basically needed to protect a PC against Trojans,
spyware, worms, hackers, hijackers and other known and unknown threats.
However a firewall must not be assumed an alternative to the
anti-virus or anti-spyware software. Before choosing a firewall, the
most important thing to keep in mind is the ease of use and the amount
of customization possible. An often overlooked factor upon choosing a
firewall is the amount of resources consumed by it. Keeping all these
factors in mind, a good
firewall software(free
or paid) must be chosen. It is important to read the alerts displayed
by it carefully, and select an appropriate action to do.
4.
Anti-spam: Anti-spam
software has become important because of the amount of spams received by
internet users frequently. These scams are the most common cause of
cyber crime. Installing one and using it is easy. So don't worry about
how to use one. But the only difficult thing is to be patient with it.
Its performance will improve over time. You can download any of the free
anti-spam available over the web or can opt for a paid version.
5.
Windows Update: A very important factor for PC security is updating Windows. It is important to enable
Automatic Updates in Windows which helps to get all the latest security fixes. Getting these updates will help Windows work better and will make one's working more secure.
6.
Backing Up: It is important
to back up all your important data to have a copy of it whenever needed
in case of a virus attack. A back up comes in handy in such unexpected
situations.
