Tips and tricks to ensure your computer is secure in 2020

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How secure do you think your computer is? Most people will answer this question by saying that they have never had a problem with hackers or viruses. But this does not mean that your computer is secure or free from threats. Indeed, it could mean that you are extremely vulnerable in 2020.

Almost everybody who owns a phone, laptop, pad or computer surfs the web on a daily basis. From browsing news websites to posting on social media, you are going to be accessing a lot of online addresses every day without thinking about it. But how many of these are really secure?

We have some tips and tricks that are going to make sure that your computer is safe in 2020.

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Online Threats are Growing

Over the years, hackers have become more sophisticated. They know all of the tricks to get into somebody’s computer even with little information. In addition, there are nearly one million new malware threats released every day. They are all better than the last and it can take just one mistake to infect your computer.

In particular, phishing scams and hackers take advantage of current events to trick people into compromising their computers. For example, during COVID-19, they have set their sights on people working from home. One company has said that they have seen phishing scams rise by 40 percent during this time.

This means that protecting your data is more important now than ever before. While you may think that these security breaches only happen to other people, they can easily happen to you too.

Ways to Test Your Computer’s Security

It is always good to test your computer’s security to see if any hacker can gain access to your device and your important data. There are several ways in which you can achieve this.

Check Your Emails

Having a spam filter on your email account creates a false sense of security. There are many dangerous emails that can slip the net. Viruses are sophisticated and you may be surprised by how much damage they can cause if they are given the chance. But the good news is that there are ways you can check the security of your emails. For example, you can use free email security check websites to scan your emails and see how vulnerable your account is.

See Your Digital Footprint

Have you ever thought about how much information you are giving away online? It may be more than you think. This gives a hacker everything they need to cause you problems. But there are websites online that can allow you to see your digital footprint. For example, there are tests on auditmypc.com. that is going to feedback to you how much information you are sharing without realizing it. You can then take steps to make your data more private.

Find Out About Pen Testing

In order to see how good the security is on your computer, you can try penetration testing. This is often referred to as pen testing or ethical hacking and it is a way of seeing where the vulnerabilities are in your system. A cyber-attack is created to access your system and your sensitive information. You can use the findings in order to update your security and make sure that a real hacker cannot access your system and data. You can read more about pen testing on this link from Best Antivirus.

Tips and tricks to ensure your computer is secure in 2020
Test that firewall!

Test your Firewall

The firewall on your computer is what helps to keep out threats found online and on web pages that you visit. Most computer systems have them built in. But antivirus programs can also include them for extra security. This means that it is important to test the firewall and see how secure it really is. Again, there are plenty of online programs that can do this for you. They will be able to see if there are vulnerabilities and you look at ways to fix them afterward.

Tips to Keep Your Computer Safe

There are things you can do every day to ensure your computer remains safe. While they may seem like basic things to do, they are actions that keep your data secure. Let’s take a look.

Update Your Operating System

One of the most important ways to keep your computer safe is to always update the operating system. Normally, you will receive a notification when an update becomes available. While it is easy to ignore it and say you will do it later, the longer you leave it, the more chance there is of a problem occurring. Therefore, make sure that you install the updates straight away so that you do not forget. The operating system improvements are there to keep your computer secure.

Run Your Antivirus Program Regularly

Having an antivirus program installed on your computer is going to make sure that you are protected from viruses. In addition, you should look for one that has a firewall and is going to keep you safe from online threats. But you also have to make sure that you are running your antivirus program regularly. This is going to check all of the files on your computer to ensure they are clean and safe. Make sure to do this every month so that you can enjoy peace of mind and know there is nothing harmful on your computer.

Empty Your Trash

How often do you send your files to the trash can? A lot of people assume that when they do this, their files are permanently deleted and nobody can access them. However, this is not true. They are still accessible while they are in the trash. You need to make sure you empty this to ensure they are gone forever. This is going to avoid anybody snooping through the sensitive files that you thought you had deleted. Often, there are settings on your computer that automatically delete everything in the trash after a certain period of time. This can be useful to save you the hassle.

What tips and tricks do you have to help secure your computer in 2020? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter, or Facebook. You can also comment on our MeWe page by joining the MeWe social network.

Last Updated on February 3, 2021.

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