How can you tell if your computer is safe?

The first thing you can do to tell if your computer is safe is to make sure it’s password protected. This might seem obvious but it’s important. Losing your laptop or having it stolen would give someone access to everything on it if it’s not password protected. Having a unique and complex password adds to this security measure. Making sure all of the accounts you use on your computer are password protected is also important. If someone does gain access to your computer, these passwords will prevent them from accessing sensitive material such as banking information. Multi-factor authentication is another best practice for protecting these accounts.

Another step you can take is to make sure you have a firewall enabled. Today’s computers usually have a firewall feature built in to the operating system. Making sure it is enabled will protect the computer from internet threats. Software updates are also important. Updates will often include security patches that address previously unknown vulnerabilities. Making sure that the system is up to date will ensure that all available patches are downloaded and installed.

Installing antivirus software is another step that can help protect your computer. This software works to prevent your computer from being compromised by malware. Additionally, if the system is infected the software will detect this and alert you to the problem.

A final best practice for ensuring the safety of your computer is to avoid using public wifi or networks that aren’t password protected. If you must use public wifi, avoid accessing sensitive information while doing so. You should also use a VPN while on a public network. This will encrypt any information you send through the network, making it useless to a hacker should they gain access to it. It will also hide your device’s IP address.