How to tell if your computer is safe? This question being asked in a cybersecurity class to me is asking, how to tell if your computer is hacked and also how to prevent any hacking in the future. The easiest way to tell your computer has been hacked is if anything strange is going on with your personal accounts. for example; usernames changed, passwords changes, or even random posts if you use online social media platform(s). Two most common types of attacks are denial of service attacks and suspicious applications installed on your computer. The easiest way to avoid denial of service attacks is to follow the basics for online security. This includes a unique and stong password for every platform and a secure password manager because anything above 12345678 is not worth memorizing. Beyond this, two-factor authentication makes it more difficult even if a hacker knows your password. Check for suspicious login attempts and the location of these attempts. Also, Disable remote access. My computer is fairly new and has remote access turned off, so I am assuming that is a normal feature, but check anyway. Prevent any hacking in the future by securing your router, enable and configure your firewall, install and use antivirus, remove unnecessary software, review and modify default settings, login as a guest account unless system modifications or installs are needed, secure your web browser, and apply automatic software updates.
Computers have made the world safer by improving how law enforcement respond to emergencies, we can monitor our health without seeing a doctor, and companies can make better products based on a connected world with vastly more product feedback. The positives far outweigh the negatives, but three examples of how computers have made the world less safe are; misinformation, cybercrime, and cyberbullying.
References:
How to tell if your computer has been hacked and how to fix it: HP® Tech takes. How To Tell If Your Computer Has Been Hacked and How To Fix It | HP® Tech Takes. (n.d.). https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/tech-takes/how-to-tell-if-your-computer-has-been-hacked
How technology is making the world safer. Alatpres. (n.d.). https://alatpres.com/2021/04/26/how-technology-is-making-the-world-safer/
Nadeem, R. (2020, June 30). 5. tech causes more problems than it solves. Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/06/30/tech-causes-more-problems-than-it-solves/