Three Key Steps to Secure PC Software
The most important thing to protect your computers, mobile devices and information from hackers is secure pc software. Hackers, also referred to as cybercriminals, gain access to your computer for a variety reasons. They can steal or alter, or even delete information that you value. Unlike other thieves, who often have legitimate uses for the stolen items hackers have ulterior motives. They are most concerned about unauthorised access to sensitive information. This could occur before you realize that something is wrong.
The three key steps to secure your computer software are firewalls, passwords and protection against viruses. If you follow these recommended methods, it’s less likely that your computer will be hacked by hackers or malware (software that locks data and demands payment for its unlocking).
Change the name of the administrator account. Be sure to choose a strong password that contains lower and uppercase letters, numbers and computer symbols. Do not use a short password like 1234 as hackers can employ automated tools to crack passwords that are easy to guess in a matter of minutes.
Update your operating system and other software. The majority of software updates include security fixes to help protect against hackers. Install all patches and turn on automatic updates as they become available to limit the amount of time you’re vulnerable to intrusions.
If you own a laptop, or any other portable device, be sure that the drive is secured when it’s not in use. This is particularly important for UF students. You can enable encryption in Windows by opening Settings > Update and Security > Device encryption. This will protect the entire internal drive as well as the majority of external drives like SD cards.