It’s hard to imagine life without computers. After all, they have a role in almost every aspect of it! Whether we’re working, communicating, or having fun, there’s often a computer involved in some shape or form.
That’s no bad thing either. Laptops, tablets, and smartphones make everything far easier and more convenient. They connect, educate, and entertain us in equal measure.
However, it isn’t all hunky-dory. There are definite dangers involved too. For example, the annual global cost of cybercrime’s set to reach $6 trillion by next year!
That’s why we decided to put a selection of computer safety tips together. After all, with obvious risks involved, it’s important to know how to protect yourself from trouble. A few sensible steps and precautions can go a long way to preventing anything unpleasant from happening.
Sound good? Keep reading to discover our 8 top tips for avoiding issues when using computers.
1. Understand the Threat
Ignorance is the enemy when it comes to staying safe online. With that in mind, the very first thing we suggest is that you get educated on a) the various computer threats out there and b) how to avoid them! This newfound insight will help you identify and steer clear of potential trouble.
However, be aware that computer threats are changing all the time. Try to continue your learning over time and stay on top of the latest risks as they arise. Don’t, and your current level of computer safety awareness could become obsolete.
2. Educate Others
The next step is to take your newfound IT knowledge and educate the other members of your family.
After all, imagine sharing a computer with your spouse and children. If they don’t know how to stay safe on it, then it’s only a matter of time before someone unwittingly makes a mistake and everybody suffers the consequences. That eventuality becomes far less likely if everybody’s aware of the hazards.
Of course, the same applies when you’re a business owner with employees. It’s up to you to ensure your workforce is trained in computer safety if you want to avoid disastrous security breaches.
3. Install Internet Security
Computer safety measures don’t get much more fundamental than installing high-quality internet security! It’s downright essential if you want to protect your system from internet issues.
Imagine it as a security guard. They patrol the area (AKA your computer) to keep an eye on potential issues. Then, if/when something happens, they take immediate action to intercept intruders (AKA cyberattacks) and stop them in their tracks.
Be sure to install internet security on every device that uses the internet- including your smartphones. Don’t worry if you’re short on cash either. Some software (such as Avast Antivirus) is free to download and use.
4. Backup Your Data
Backing up your computer files on a regular basis is sensible for numerous reasons! First and foremost, it means you still have a copy of those precious documents and photos if your device stops working or gets stolen.
But it also reduces the significance of suffering ransomware attacks. This kind of malware stops you from accessing computer files and demands payment to make them available again. Without a backup, you’ve got no choice but to pay (unless you want to lose your files forever).
Perform a quick Google search to read more about the best way to backup files on your computer.
5. Update Your Systems
We know, those pesky computer updates can be time-consuming and frustrating to install. Yet they’re another vital component to staying safe online.
Those updates fix software bugs that could, in theory, be used against you by hackers. Forgoing the update could mean you’re using compromised software and make your system vulnerable in the process. The best solution is to update your devices whenever possible.
6. Never Leave Your Computer Unattended
Not all computer threats are online! As a valuable piece of electronic equipment, they make tempting targets for thieves too. That’s bad news when you use your computer in public a lot.
Aside from being vigilant about who’s around, it’s important to never leave your device alone and unattended when you’re out and about. At the very least, make sure that it’s always within eyeshot and within a reasonable distance to you. This should reduce the chance of someone coming along and stealing it.
7. Set Strong Passwords
It’s hard to overstate the importance of setting strong passwords. They’re your first line of defense against wrongdoers, preventing people from gaining easy access to your computer and accounts.
Simply having a password isn’t enough. Any password you create must be long, random, and filled with a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols to stop somebody from being able to guess it. That’s the only way to avoid the wrath of nosey parkers and dangerous identity thieves.
8. Store Your Passwords With Care
The only trouble with strong passwords is that they tend to be hard to remember! If you aren’t careful, you can end up locking yourself out of the computer as well as anybody else.
Try to avoid the temptation of writing them all down somewhere though. Imagine if that file fell into the wrong hands! They’d have instant access to your personal data.
A more sensible step is to store them in a purpose-built online vault, such as LastPass. Do that and all you have to do is remember a single password to get inside the vault, which will give you access to all the others.
Don’t Forget These Computer Safety Tips
You need to pay particular attention to your online security especially when you are engaging in activities like torrenting. If you are, you need to be particularly careful about choosing the right sites and using a VPN to help protect your online credentials. If you are using sites like the pirate bay, you do not have anything to worry about in terms of safety.
In today’s digital era, we’ve all become a little reliant on computers. They’re now part and parcel of daily life! Without them, getting anything done would be ten times harder. However, as we’ve seen, there’s a level of risk in using computers too.
Whether you’re on a tablet, smartphone, desktop, or laptop, there are individuals around who are capable of causing trouble. With any luck, though, the computer safety tips in this post will help you avoid that fate. Keep them in mind and you should stay safe, secure, and malware-free!
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