If you’re using a computer, there’s not much that can go wrong in itself. The threat usually comes from outside, i.e. via the Internet and e-mail. Just as you protect your home from unwanted intruders, you should also protect your computer from unwanted phenomena such as viruses.
What do you need?
Windows itself has some basic functions to ensure security. For example, Windows 7 and 10 have a firewall, a program that ensures that other computers cannot make unintentional contact with your own computer. It is enabled by default.
It is vital for the security of your computer that you use an antivirus program and that the data is up to date. Windows 10 computers come standard with a free antivirus program. The program is called Windows Defender and is an antivirus and antispyware program in one.
When installing an antivirus program, you can choose between a paid package or a free program. New computers often come with a paid package that you can use for free for a certain period. After that you can purchase the program. This is of course not mandatory, you can also decide to switch to a free program.
For example, Bitdefender and Kaspersky are well known for the paid packages. These are programs that keep themselves current by automatically downloading the latest updates. Do you prefer a free application? That is sufficient in many cases. These programs also protect your computer against viruses and other problems. Read more about it in our ‘Choice aid free virus scanners’.
Subscription
There is one thing to keep in mind when purchasing an antivirus package. That is how long the package is usable. In the past you bought a program and you could continue to use it endlessly. Now they are sold with a license for a certain period. For example 1 year and then for 1 computer. You cannot then install the program on your computer and on the laptop, for example. That is why you often have the choice to purchase a program for multiple devices. For example, a 3 year license for 3 computers. Then you can install the program on three devices. This is more expensive than an antivirus package that you can use on 1 or 2 computers.
When the license of the antivirus package has expired, the program sometimes stops working. In other cases, the virus data will no longer be updated, so it is of no use to you. It is always possible to buy an extra period, for example another year. This is all done via the internet. Sometimes you need a credit card to pay.
What do you have to pay attention to?
You can do a lot yourself to keep your computer safe. Viruses usually do not just appear on the computer, often the computer user himself has done something that gave the virus access. The main things to look out for are:
- Don’t click on links or attachments in emails if you’re not 100 percent sure who it comes from and what it is. Many viruses are spread via spam (unwanted and unsolicited e-mail messages). For example, they are hidden in a file that the recipient thinks is something very special or fun. Think of a nude video of a celebrity, or supposedly a weird photo of yourself. As soon as someone clicks on the file or clicks on the link, the problems begin.
- Also be careful when opening attachments from acquaintances. Is it not entirely clear what kind of file and for what reason it is being sent? Please check before opening the file. Sometimes the e-mail seems to come from someone you know, but that is not the case at all and that e-mail address is misused to spread viruses.
- Do not reply to spam. Not even if the message seems to come from someone you know, who, for example, has won a prize and wants to let you know. Or who claims to have seen a photo of you on the internet. Spammers send out advertising messages for all kinds of articles on a large scale. The e-mail addresses are sometimes bought in large files or ‘invented’ by a computer itself. If you respond to such an e-mail, it is a sign that your e-mail address is being used and for criminals this is extremely interesting information.
- Be careful with your financial information. A commonly used scam method is to send internet users an email supposedly on behalf of their bank, the so-called phishing. With an excuse about maintenance or something about updating data, people are asked to log in to their bank’s site. The internet link is therefore in the e-mail. However, if you click on it, you will not go to the real site of the bank but to a counterfeit version of it, which looks exactly like it. The only purpose of that site is to find out your login name and password, after which criminals abuse it. Banks and other institutions never send emails with links to their customers. If you do get one, throw it away immediately because then something is wrong.
Then the most important tip: if something seems too good to be true, it usually is. Ignore emails promising you money, stating that you’ve won a prize, and don’t take any bargains that are really too cheap. There is usually something wrong with that. Also, do not just transfer money to strangers, you will not be the first to think that you have bought something via the internet and then have lost his money and will no longer receive the ordered item.
Wireless Internet
More and more people have wireless internet at home. To prevent others from using your connection for free or hacking into your computer, the connection must be secured. If you received the router with your subscription, the connection is usually password protected. How this is arranged can be found in the manual of the device or your provider. We advise you to change the supplied password to your own chosen, strong password. Only then can you speak of a secure connection. To create a good password, read the tip ‘Create a strong password’.
Read more about using wireless internet in the article ‘Wireless networks’.