Three Key Steps to Secure PC Software

The best way to safeguard your devices, computers and data from hackers is secure pc software. Hackers (also known as cybercriminals) hack into your computer or other device for many reasons, including stealing, altering and deleting data you consider valuable. In contrast to other thieves, who often have legitimate uses for the stolen items hackers are motivated by malicious motives. They are particularly concerned about having access to sensitive data that is not authorized. This can happen before you even know there is something wrong.

The three essential steps to secure pc software are firewalls, passwords and virus protection. If you follow these recommended practices, it is less likely that your computer will be compromised by hackers or malware (software that encrypts your data and demands payment for its unlocking).

Change the name of the administrator account. Be sure to select an extremely secure password that includes lower- and uppercase numbers, letters and computer symbols. Avoid using a password that is short such as 1234 because hackers can use automated tools to break passwords that are easy to guess within minutes.

Make sure that your operating system (OS) and other software up-to-date. The majority of software updates include security fixes to help protect against hacking. Install all patches, and set up automatic updates if available, to minimize the time you are vulnerable to web link hackers.

If you own a laptop or any other portable device that is not being used, make sure the drive is protected. This is especially crucial for UF students. Windows allows users to enable encryption by going to Settings > Update & Security > Device encryption. This will secure the entire internal drive, as well as the majority of external drives like SD cards.