How can you tell if your computer is safe?

A computer or network being considered “safe” by someone is subjective. What I might consider safe for my computer at home, may not be considered safe for a work computer at a government facility. What might make a computer unsafe would be the different software installed, the amount of security on the computer, or even who has access to it. No matter what kind of computer it is or what it is for, nobody wants their computer to be considered “unsafe”.

A common consensus for what is considered safe would be making sure only authorized users have access to the device and its data. On my home computer, I am the only user and should be the only user. Until somebody or something has gained access to my computer that I have not authorized, I would consider my computer safe. More than likely, work computers that belong to businesses or organizations would want the same rules for their devices, authorized users only. In order to prevent unauthorized access, proper prevention should be put in place. Thins such as passwords, two-factor authentication, and in some cases biometric locks can be used to secure devices. New ways of getting around these methods of prevention are being discovered all the time, thus the need for more ways of securing them.

Another potential vulnerability to devices is unauthorized software being installed. On my home computer, I download software such as other internet browsers, social media, drivers for devices, and other programs that might be considered “unsafe” for a workplace computer or device. The reason programs like these are considered vulnerabilities to some organizations is because they generally are not hosted by the organization itself, rather another company. Some software can track what you do while it is open or may need access to certain files on the computer. This isn’t always a bad thing, some companies will even approve for the usage of certain software. However, disregard for this rule can lead to unwanted tracking or even a way for attackers to gain access to networks. These points can also be said for internet browsing to unverified websites. This is why a lot of companies and organizations will completely block websites and prevent downloads to computers without permission.

The amount of security needed on a computer will also change for what purpose the computer has. For my home computer, I feel that the default windows defender program is enough for me as I don’t tend to travel to sketchy websites or download unverified files. While that may be enough for me, hackers are more than likely more interested in bigger companies with assets meaning said companies would want better protection. While software to protect networks and computers only work against so much, another option that some companies consider is having both a network that connects to the outside world, and a closed loop network that is only accessible on computers on that network. This can be preferred by some companies because at that point so long as there is no wireless signals being given off, there is virtually no way of an attacker to be able to access the closed loop network without physical tampering of any of the connected devices.