Secure PC software is essential to protecting your device, computer and your data from hackers. Hackers, also referred as cybercriminals, break into your computer for a variety reasons. They can steal the data, alter or delete data that you value description. Hackers have malicious intentions, unlike other thieves who utilize stolen items to fulfill legitimate needs. They are most concerned about unauthorised access to sensitive information. This can happen before you even realize that something isn’t right.
Passwords, a virus prevention program and a firewall are the three most important steps to protect your computer software. If you adhere to these best practices, your computer will be less likely to be compromised by malware, hackers or ransomware (software that locks your data and requires payment to unlock it).
Change the name of the administrator account. Choose a strong password that contains upper- and lowercase letter, numbers and computer symbols. Avoid using a simple password such as 1234 since hackers can use automated software to hack passwords that are simple to guess in just a few minutes.
Update your operating system and other software. Most software updates contain security fixes that help protect against hacking. Install all patches and set up automatic updates if you have them, to decrease the time you are vulnerable to hackers.
If you own a laptop or any other portable device that is not being used, make sure the drive is secured. This is particularly important for UF students. You can enable encryption in Windows by going to Settings > Update & Security > Device encryption. This will secure the entire internal drive as well as most external drives, such as SD cards.
Three Key Steps to Secure PC Software
Secure PC software is essential to protecting your device, computer and your data from hackers. Hackers, also referred as cybercriminals, break into your computer for a variety reasons. They can steal the data, alter or delete data that you value description. Hackers have malicious intentions, unlike other thieves who utilize stolen items to fulfill legitimate needs. They are most concerned about unauthorised access to sensitive information. This can happen before you even realize that something isn’t right.
Passwords, a virus prevention program and a firewall are the three most important steps to protect your computer software. If you adhere to these best practices, your computer will be less likely to be compromised by malware, hackers or ransomware (software that locks your data and requires payment to unlock it).
Change the name of the administrator account. Choose a strong password that contains upper- and lowercase letter, numbers and computer symbols. Avoid using a simple password such as 1234 since hackers can use automated software to hack passwords that are simple to guess in just a few minutes.
Update your operating system and other software. Most software updates contain security fixes that help protect against hacking. Install all patches and set up automatic updates if you have them, to decrease the time you are vulnerable to hackers.
If you own a laptop or any other portable device that is not being used, make sure the drive is secured. This is particularly important for UF students. You can enable encryption in Windows by going to Settings > Update & Security > Device encryption. This will secure the entire internal drive as well as most external drives, such as SD cards.