Three Key Steps to Secure PC Software

The most effective way to secure your devices, computer systems and data from hackers is secure working with documents secure PC software. Hackers (also known as cybercriminals) attack your device or computer for various reasons, which include the theft, modification and deletion of information that you consider important. Contrary to other thieves who often have legitimate uses for the stolen items, hackers have malicious intentions. They are more interested in unauthorized access to your personal information, and often before you are aware that something is wrong.

Passwords, a virus prevention program and a firewall are the three most important steps to protect your computer software. If you follow these best practices, it’s less likely that your computer will be hacked by malware or hackers (software which encrypts data and requires payment to unlock its unlocking).

Change the name of your administrator account. Be sure to choose an effective password that has lower and uppercase numbers, letters and computer symbols. Avoid using a standard password like 1234 because hackers can employ automated software to hack passwords that are simple to guess in just a few minutes.

Update your operating system and other programs. Most software updates contain security fixes that help protect against hacking. Install all patches and enable automatic updates as they become available to limit the amount of time you’re vulnerable to intruders.

If you have an laptop or any other portable device, make sure your drive is protected even when it’s not in use. This is especially important for UF students. Windows allows you to enable encryption by going to Settings > Update & Security > Device encryption. This will protect the entire internal drive as well as many external drives, including SD cards.