While computers make our work easier, they can tell others a lot about their users. They could include colleagues, friends who share the computer, and even hackers. Whether online or offline, computers can give away information to others. This article intends to offer some safe computing tips for all – especially the seniors and the new-to-computing crowd.
Safe Computing Tips, Practices and Habits for Windows users
1] Use good security software
It is very easy to get infected if you do not have a good antivirus or an Internet Security Suite on your Windows computer, especially if you visit the Internet. To stay safe, use an antivirus that protects against malicious code. There are many antiviruses around. Some of them are free and some are paid. Whatever you choose, make sure it works properly.
An antivirus should offer protection not only against viruses but also from other forms of malware, such as adware, spyware, etc.
Most antivirus programs claim to provide all-around protection. But remember that there is nothing called 100% protection when it comes to the Internet. That is why you need a second line of defense as well. In addition to a real-time antivirus, keep running scheduled scans of your anti-malware, and use online antivirus scanners or a second-opinion scanner occasionally.
2] Use a good Firewall
While an antivirus protects your computer from viruses, you also need protection from hackers. For this purpose, you have to use a proper firewall. A firewall is hardware or software that makes your computer disappear from the Internet. It would be like working from behind an invisible wall that secures your computer.
If you are using Windows 11/10, the firewall in the operating system is good enough. Please read our article on how to configure the Windows Firewall in Windows. If you want, you can use a third-party firewall. Not everyone is comfortable with Windows built-in firewall. There are both free and paid firewalls available on the Internet. Check out our list of best free firewalls on The Windows Club.
If you use a normal router, I recommend turning on the firewall inside the router as well. Almost all routers come with a hardware or firmware firewall. You can turn it on by logging into the router’s configuration page. The address of most routers’ login pages is 192.168.1.1. Before making changes, you may want to back up existing settings in case you wish to change other settings, such as DNS, etc.
A good DNS will protect you against malicious websites. There are many DNS that are both fast and provide protection as well. You can use Comodo DNS or any other DNS that you prefer.
3] Clean History Regularly
A browser can give away information about what sites you are visiting and can be a serious threat to your privacy. To prevent getting caught or to prevent others from knowing what you were doing on the browser or the Internet, remember to clean history after you are done browsing. There are options to clean history, cache, and cookies in every browser you use. Some browsers like TOR etc do not store any information locally. You can use them if you are very serious about your privacy. Browsers like TOR would not let even the websites guess where you are located.
Alternatively, you can use a third-party computer junk cleaner to clear the history, cookies, cache, temporary files, and registry. Using a third-party cleaner would ensure that history is erased from all browsers you have on the machine you used.
4] Keep Windows operating system & installed software updated
An operating system should always be up to date with patches and updates to be completely protected. Developers of Windows identify issues from time to time and issue patches every second Tuesday of the month. You should install those updates. To make sure you do not miss out on updates, it is better to Turn on Windows Updates and choose the option to update automatically. You can set these properties using the Windows Updates option in Settings in Windows operating system. There are also several third-party software update checker programs available that keep on checking for updated versions of the software installed on your computer.
5] Stay safe while browsing
To stay safe while browsing, using a Virtual Private Network is always better. This creates an encrypted tunnel between your computer and the VPN’s central point from where you get to browse the Internet. There are both free and paid VPNs. You can use Spotflux, for example. There are many VPNs available. Check out some of the best free VPN software available on the Internet. Proton is a good one you can consider.
Learn how to Stay Safe Online & protect personal information while browsing.
6] Do not fall for Phishing attempts
Always know what you are doing when on the computer. Many out there want to use you or your information for personal gain. They will try to contact you via emails, forms on websites, and other modes of communication. They will ask you for your information instead of something lucrative. Do not fall for scams. If you get an email saying you won a lottery and know you do not buy any lottery, it is better to ignore such emails. Phishing emails and attacks are the main sources for stealing information that is later used for identity theft. Learn how to identify phishing.
7] Know about Social Engineering
Sometimes, people posing as friends try to fish out information from you – regarding you or your organization. If someone is becoming too friendly and interested in information you shouldn’t share, beware. It could be a social engineering attack. People befriend you to obtain information that they sell to others or use themselves. In most cases, it is organizational information that they are interested in. They may ask you favors to look into databases and provide them with information. They may be on social networks or even in person. Stay away from such people.
8] Lock the computer when not using it
One of the best safe computing habits to cultivate is to lock the computer screen with a password when you are not at it. It hardly takes a moment. You have to press WinKey+L to lock the computer. This prevents others from snooping on your computers when you are not around.
9] Be aware while clicking on shortened links
Social sites have promoted short links. These short links are not often safe. If anyone sends you a link without any context or if the link is sent by untrusted sources, do not click on it. You may also use third-party services to know where a link leads to – before you click it. One such Short URL Expander service is wheredoesthislinkgo.com.
10] Use Social sites safely
Social sites are fun… and risky. Though they are meant to share information, they share only as much as is necessary. Oversharing can lead to burglary, identity theft, negative promotions, etc. Keep your mind in control while having fun on such sites. Use decent language. Avoid social sites when emotional so that you do not post anything that may make you regret it later. Remember that people look up for you on social sites when they need information about you. So you should be careful about how you project yourself there.
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