How can you tell if your computer is safe?

There are several ways to tell and ensure that your computer is safe and help ensure it stays safe. Having a safe working computer is extremely important, as often personal, financial, and other forms of data can be stored on them. The first and most simple step to help protect your computer is to ensure you use strong passwords for all accounts and websites. Using strong passwords lowers the risk of unauthorized access to websites and accounts commonly used on the computer, and helps ensure that your personal data remains safe. Another way to help protect your computer is to ensure that it’s equipped with antivirus software and firewall protection. Antivirus software will detect and remove any viruses found on the computer, and firewall protection can help prevent outside threats from infecting the computer with malware. Most modern computers that run Windows already have antivirus programs installed. Keeping software up to date is also helpful for keeping you computer secure, as well as improving overall performance. Knowing what to look for in a suspicious e-mail, link, or direct message can also help protect your computer. Many hackers will use phishing emails that appear to be legitimate, and attempt to steal personal information such as credit cards, social security numbers, or addresses when the victim clicks on the link or website. Lastly, being safe when on the internet is extremely important for keeping your computer and personal information safe. Streaming or pirating movies, music, and other forms of media illegally can increase your computers chances of being exposed to malware and other viruses. It is also imperative that when using social media applications, ensure that you’re equipped with the proper privacy setting to ensure that no one can gather personal information by searching your Facebook or Instagram.