Something most of us would never take for granted outside of the internet is our own personal safety. Your personal safety can be affected or influenced by a variety of different external factors. Therefore , it is essential that you take measures and precautions in order to ensure that you are safe ready to respond any issues that may arise. The same principle can be applied to staying safe online and your general cyber security. Lets take a look at some of the best ways in which you can stay safe online and improve your overall cyber security.
Updates
One of the most important things that you can do to keep yourself and your pc safe online is to download regular updates. Downloading regular software updates for your PC’s system as well as its security software is important. On an almost daily basis hackers are working to try and exploit new vulnerabilities in computer software as well as security packages. Therefore regular updates are necessary in order to prevent any breaches and to keep people safe online.
Typically updates are released regularly via the programmes you have installed although they may also be available to download via social media channels for these applications. Where possible it is important that you download these updates via a programme you already have Installed.
This is because hackers may try and make you download a false update file by fooling you into following the wrong link or downloading a malicious file.
Steps You Can Take To Improve Your Online Security
In addition to regular software updates to your operating system and security software , there are of course other changes which can be made. One of the best steps that you can take in order to improve your security is scheduling regular security scans of your pc.
Most reputable security software companies will give you the ability to regularly scan your computer for any viruses or issues which could adversely affect your online security or performance. These scans can normally be scheduled to run once every few days.
Being Vigilant Online
Another important way through which you can protect yourself from any issues or security flaws online is through maintaining vigilance. It is important to note that the majority of security issues or viruses that occur every year often occur from phisihing websites or emails.
Phishing is when a website or email is deliberately designed to be deceptive so that the user unwittingly clicks on a link which will then lead to their PC or system becoming infected with an online virus. It is therefore crucial that users look out for warning signs of this issue.
One of the most important things to note from this is to never click a link that you do not fully trust or that has not been verified. Doing this can be a serious error of judgement that leads to irreparable damage of your computer. Make sure to use only trusted websites which have the padlock symbol in the top left of the url bar. This indicates the site has a basic level of protection against hackers.
