Tips to protect your PC from Viruses, Hackers, and Malware?

Tips to Protect your PC

In this article, we are sharing tips to protect your PC from viruses, hackers, and malware.

Nowadays, almost everyone is using the internet for shopping, banking, e-learning, flight booking, and so on.

An internet computer is used by Designers, Engineers, Doctors, Teachers, and Students, Scientists in their everyday assignments related to the office or maybe, for personal entertainment.

The use of the internet has become the need of the century, with the significant increase in the use of the internet, it has also brought trouble in the form of cybercriminals and hackers.

These hackers and cybercriminals steal your personal information, data, and money, delete your files from storage, and slow down your PC by injecting viruses, malware, ransomware, worm, or trojan.

What is a virus?

A computer virus is a malicious type of code or program that alters the functionality of a computer and is designed to spread from one machine to another.

To execute its code, a virus operates by inserting or adding itself to a legit program or document.

This can duplicate itself, inject itself into other programs or files, and infect them.

Also Read:- Important Facts About Computer Viruses

What is a hacker?

A hacker is an individual who uses a computer or the internet to steal personal information, data, money, and identity theft to demand a ransom.

What’s Malware?

Malware is software designed to harm your computer by stealing sensitive information and sending fake emails to others and it also slows down your PC.

Types of Malware

• Virus – A virus is a harmful computer program or code that can spread from one computer to another and copy itself and infect a computer. It alters the functionality of the PC.

• Spyware – It is a Malware that runs on the backend of your PC secretly and collects sensitive information and grants access to the hackers without your knowledge. Spyware is mostly used to steal financial or personal information.

• Worm -A worm is a malicious computer program that spreads to other computers via a network or downloaded file and it multiplies at an exponential rate.

• Ransomware – is malicious software that encrypts your sensitive information so that you can’t use it. You need to pay an amount to gain access to your data.

• Adware – is software that automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertisements on a computer.

• Fileless malware – It operates from the infected computer’s memory instead of the files on a hard drive. Consequently, since there are no files of this malicious software it is hard to detect it.

• Trojan horse – A destructive program that pretends to be a useful application, but harms your computer or steals your information after it’s installed.

How can Malware spread and infect your PC?

• Malware can spread and infect your PC in the following ways:-

• Downloading software for free from untrusted sources.

• Visiting the non-familiar websites and links.

• By Clicking the pop-up messages.

• Opening an email from an unknown sender.

15 Tips to protect your PC and data from Viruses, Hackers, and Malware:-

• Use trustworthy antivirus software and keep them up to date.

• Don’t click on any of the pop-up advertisements. Use a pop-up blocker.

• Don’t open emails or their attachments from unfamiliar senders.

• Always make sure to scan the files, when you download files using file sharing.

• Download apps or any software only from trusted sites.

• Check the permissions of every app that you install.

• Do not click links on unfamiliar websites.

• Make sure to keep the operating system, apps, and other software up to date.

• Never use USB or disks on your computer from unknown sources.

• Use internet browser privacy settings to enable which sites can see your personal information.

• Turn on temper protection in Windows 10 and 11. The Tamper Protection feature prevents unauthorized apps from changing your security settings.

• User Account Control (UAC) – this feature notifies and gives you a chance to approve the change that requires administrator-level permission.

• Don’t use pirated software. In order to get a free copy of a game, movie, or application you download a cracked or illegal version of the software, that might put your PC at risk.

• Use a Firewall

• Use strong password