Taking the pessimistic approach, there is truly no one way to tell if your computer is safe. There is also no one true way to keep your computer safe. Of course, an individual could keep their computer safeguarded by being locked in a secure vault, surrounded by a Faraday Cage, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned off, and not connected to the internet. Even with this type of safeguarding the computer is still only as safe as the individual(s) who have access to it. Most of us do not have this type of access or the paranoia to safeguard our computers in such a manner. Ultimately, a computer is only as safe as its user(s). The individual user needs to be aware of what makes a computer unsafe. Such aspects that make a computer unsafe include viruses, worms, trojan horses, malware, spyware, and phishing attempts. Then the individual user needs to be aware of ways to protect their computer from such instances. The individual user can start by purchasing virus protection from a third-party entity such as McAfee or Norton anti-virus protection. This sort of protection runs in the background of the computer operating system constantly scanning and being on the alert to shutdown anything deemed a virus or something that flags the application. Next the individual needs to do their due diligence and be aware of websites they frequent along with what they download on a regular basis. They need to be aware that with carefree downloads they could be self-sabotaging their computer and download a virus or a malicious program. With that out of the way, the user then needs to be aware of phishing attempts. Yes, they receive regular emails from their family and friends or banking institution, but those individuals’ email could be compromised in that emails which seem harmless are imbedded with links or other ways for an individual to gain access to their computer or account information. By following this sort of information, I think then an individual can tell if their computer is safe.