In this day and age most people need a computer for personal and business use. It’s also vital to have the protection and safety measures in place to protect your computer and the information on it from hackers and viruses. Having a few different security protections in place is the best way to keep your computer and your information safe. Your goal is to keep malware out of your computer, and to automatically scan your computer on a daily basis so if anything does slip through the cracks of your security system, it can quickly be caught and removed.

Having a firewall set up on your computer is one of the best things you can do to help block malware. It creates a block between your computer and unauthorized programs, preventing them from coming through the internet into your computer.

Often when you try to go to a website you haven’t visited before, your computer will warn you by asking you in a pop up box, if you are you sure you want to enter this site,and it also may warn you that you’re entering an unsecure site. When you see warnings like that, it’s best to listen and avoid that site.

The next important thing you must do to protect your computer is to install antivirus software. This also protects your computer from unauthorized programs. These uninvited programs must be blocked since they can slow down your computer or make it crash. Antivirus software is set up to scan your computer and remove anything that seems inappropriate.

In addition to adding antivirus software, installing anti-spyware software is equally important. This will help to block a spyware program from getting into your computer and gathering your private information. Under the worst of circumstances, your private data goes back to the hacker’s computer with the intention of doing harm to you and your contacts. Spyware is often tough to remove once someone finds a way to attach to your computer, so it’s best to be preventive and have anti-spyware program installed. Like antivirus software, anti-spyware software acts in real time, constantly working to protect your computer, being alert to something that might be suspicious and blocking it, and running the protection programs daily.

Always make sure you set up passwords that are not easy to guess, using a combination of both capital and small letters along with numbers and symbols. Change your passwords if you have any concerns that your safety is being compromised.

Have all the proper security settings on your browser of your computer. For more information and help making sure your personal and business computers are secure, call or contact Alpha Engineering Associates today at 410-295-9500.