Secure PC software is the key to protecting your device, computer and your data from hackers. Hackers (also called cybercriminals) attack your device or computer for various reasons, which include taking, altering and deleting information you value. Hackers have malicious motives, unlike other thieves who may steal items for legitimate reasons. They are most concerned with unauthorized access to sensitive information. This can happen before you realize there is something wrong.
Passwords, a security program and firewalls are the three essential steps to secure your computer software. If you pc info blog follow these best practices, your computer will be significantly less likely to be compromised by hackers, malware or ransomware (software that encrypts your data and requires payment to unlock it).
Change the name of your administrator account. Make sure you choose an effective password that has lower and uppercase letters, numbers and computer symbols. Avoid using a simple password such as 1234 since hackers can employ automated software to hack passwords that are easy to guess in mere minutes.
Update your operating system and other programs. The majority of software updates include security fixes to help protect against hacking. Install all patches and turn on automatic updates if they are they are available to reduce the amount of time when you’re vulnerable to intruders.
If you own a laptop or another portable device, make sure the drive is secure even when it’s not in use. This is especially important for UF students. Windows allows users to enable encryption by going to Settings > Update & Security > Device encryption. This will make your internal drive and a majority of external drives, like SD cards.