Saturday, October 18, 2008

How to Protect Your Home Computer

Home computers are popular among intruders. Home computers with internet connections usually stay connected and this is a good time for intruders or hackers to do their ill will. Intruders may steal your bank records, credit cards information and thus spend your money without your permission.

Your computer including the hard disk space, your processor and your internet connection will also be at risk from hackers. Unscrupulous individuals deliver viruses in your computer by hacking your system. In order to protect your home computer, you will need the following:

-Install Antivirus programs
-Be careful in opening emails
-Install a firewall program
-Backup important files Use unique password

Install Antivirus programs

Virus may harm your computer including the files in it. If virus enters your computer it may be hard to delete it entirely because virus signature oftentimes lingers in your computer system.

Thus, it is important for you to install an antivirus program. By installing an antivirus program you can avoid virus entering your system.

Scan your computer for viruses using the anti-virus program to avoid damage virus can do to your computer.

Be care in opening emails

If you see an email from a sender that you do not know, never open this email. Some viruses are passed on through file attachments. Thus, you will need to avoid opening emails from unknown senders especially those with attachments.

If someone you know accidentally passed a virus to you, make sure that your antivirus program is working properly.

Install a Firewall program

Use a firewall especially if you have internet connections at home. Some malware enter your system when you download free softwares. Even without downloading softwares, some hackers can enter your system through some other means.

It is thus important that the firewall works properly. This is to avoid intruders entering your computer and thus affecting the usefulness of your home computer.

Backup important files

To ensure that you can protect your computer and your files as well, keep a backup of your files in a CD or an external drive. This is to ensure that if your computer system develops issues, you can still retrieve your important files from the backup.

Use unique password

Your password may work to protect you as a person. Your password may also protect your computer from intruders. The most important protection you will need from using passwords in your computer is the protection of your bank details, credit cards details and even your computer system.

Never use your name or the name of anyone in your family as a password. By using capital letters, small letters and numbers in your password, you are creating a unique password that will work to protect your home computer.