There’s a lot you can do to protect yourself and your computer from scammers, hackers, and identity thieves. Start by keeping your computer software up-to-date.

1. Install security software:

There is a lot of security software available and most well known computer makers sell computers with trial versions. It is a must nowadays.

• McAfee Total Protection 2015 (For 3 PCs)
• Norton Security (For 5 Devices)
• Kaspersky Internet Security 2015 (For 3 PCs)
• Microsoft Security Essentials
• Mac Antivirus by Sophos

There are options in all the above to have the software auto-update itself. Set it up, and forget about it. Make sure you run a scheduled full scan during times when you won’t be using your computer.

2. Treat your financial information like cash

• When asked for your financial information, such as social security number, bank card numbers, even date of birth! Ask how the information is going to be used and how it will be protected. It should all be justified.

3. Great deals online!

• Shop at reputable online stores. They can’t always guarantee safety, but they have a reputation to uphold and will usually work with you to make things right. They have higher regulatory controls, are under usual audit scrutiny, have a team dedicated to keeping their computers and servers secured. They will notify you and pay for credit monitoring if a situation occurs that puts your information in jeopardy.
• Some online stores may have great deals, but be on the lookout for false promises and low security.

4. Don’t provide your personal or financial information unless the website you’re on is secure

https://

If the URL doesn’t start with https, don’t enter your financial information. That S stands for secure. It means the information you’re sending is encrypted…

5. Make your passwords count.

• They should be at least 10 characters—and a mix of numbers, letters and special characters.
• Don’t use your name, pet’s names, anyone’s names, birth date or common words.
• Don’t use the same password for several accounts, as tempting as that may be. If it’s stolen, hackers can use it to access your other accounts.
• Keep your passwords in a secure place, and don’t share them with anyone.

6. Back up your computer files

Before installing any new software on PCs, learn to create a system restore point, here is a video on how to do it.

• Use an external backup like the Seagate Backup Plus 2TB with Mobile Device Backup USB 3.0 (Red). It performs a continuous back up of your system and even downloads your Facebook data for you to keep.

Did you find this useful? Do you think someone in your family or a friend would find this useful? Please share it with them! Let’s make the Internet more secure starting with them!