Keeping your devices secure can seem like an overwhelming task with major security problems makes the news every other week. But the truth is the many threats can be mitigated with a few simple steps. This guide will attempt to walk you through these steps. This will not be a in-depth guide to every mitigation measure you can take, but rather it is the essentials of what any user can, and should implement. Protecting WindowsWindows 10 has several under the hood changes that make it the most secure version of Windows. It is recommended to use Windows 10 if possible, but even so the two following items may apply to Windows 7 and 8.1 (some steps will vary on older versions of Windows). Windows Defender: Making Third Party Anti-Virus Programs Obsolete Lets start with the basics. Everyone knows that you should use an anti-virus program to secure your computer. But did you know that that Windows 10 has one built-in? Windows Defender is Microsoft's own anti-virus program, and many see it as the best option available. Third party anti-virus programs have the problem of needing to hook into parts of the operating system in ways that were not intended by Microsoft in order to offer protection. Microsoft avoided this issue by baking Windows Defender directly into Windows 10 itself. Windows Update: Keeping Current We all find them annoying, and we all try to put them off as long as possible, but Windows Updates are an important part in securing your computer. With Windows 10 you don't have to worry about this as much anymore since they are automatic, so the main thing to keep in mind here is to allow updates to install if they require a reboot. You can manually check for updates by going to Settings > Update & Security > Check for updates. Protecting Your Web BrowserYour web browser is the great gateway to the internet, which makes it a prime target. Thankfully you can increase your security with a single browser extension. When it comes to browser choice, I recommend Google Chrome. But Firefox and Microsoft Edge are both good alternatives. uBlock Origin: Block Those Ads One of the growing areas where malware is being spread is through malicious advertisements embedded in websites. These malware-delivering ads are what is known as Malvertising. to protect against this, as well as other types of misuse such browser redirects and crypto mining scripts, I would advise the use of an adblocker such as uBlock Origin. It is available as an extension for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge. Flash and Java: Bad Company To make this short and sweet, 99% of the time you do not need Adobe Flash or Java. They are full of security vulnerabilities and should be avoided unless required. Protecting on Public Wi-FiYou may have heard before that using public WiFi in a coffee shop or hotel isn’t safe, but do you know why? When you are connected to a network, it is possible for anyone else sharing the network to try and eavesdrop on your connection. Thankfully there is a solution. VPN: Virtual Private Network when using public WiFi you should employ the use of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel through which you can safely use the Internet without others being able to view your traffic on the network. Even if an attacker where to intercept your data, it would be rendered useless due to the encryption. There are many VPN solutions to choose from, but not all of them are as secure as others. I am currently using NordVPN, but there are other good ones out there. While there are free VPNs, I would recommend avoiding these and paying the $40 or so a year that most solutions cost. ConclusionWhile there are many threats online today, I hope this guide helped de-mystify some of the elements regarding this subject for you, and that you will be safer because of them. If you have any questions feel free to ask below in the comment section.
1 Comment
Jim
5/9/2018 05:08:40 am
Great article for the simple minded like myself. This article is good for sending help to novices and needing some basic fundamentals. It's like having a car and not driving with the hood up... Basic, but essential advice and instruction.
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