It is vitally important that you protect your computer and all the information on it  to prevent identity theft. By hacking into your computer’s stored information, a thief can gain access to your banking account numbers and passwords in order to steal money. In addition, some hackers are trying to find information about your credit cards to use the numbers to order merchandise. Here are a few tips to protect the information on a computer.

One: Use Spam Filtering For Your Email

A spam filtering system helps to keep you from receiving emails that are designed to collect your personal information with promises of winning a contest or helping an individual with a problem. Many of these emails are sent from overseas, and in addition to requesting banking account or credit card numbers, the emails often contain viruses that damage your computer’s software.

Two: Avoid Clicking on Pop-ups

If you have a spam filtering system and antivirus protection in place on a computer, then pop-ups are less likely to occur. When there is a pop-up, do not click on it because it can lead to having a virus on your computer. A pop-up can occur anywhere on your computer screen, and many pop-ups are designed to look like your antivirus protection or software updating systems.

Three: Install and Update Antivirus Protection

Antivirus protection is the first thing to install to protect your computer, and keeping it updated is vital to provide the best protection. You can find free antivirus protection that helps to avoid dangerous virus attacks, or there are antivirus software programs available at different price points from online sources or at local brick-and-mortar stores.

Four: Have a Protection Password

Make sure to have a protection password on your computer to protect your private information. If a burglar breaks into your home, then a computer is one of the first things that they look for because it is an easy item to pawn. When you do not have a password, anyone can look at your email or search through the stored memory on a computer to find you credit card information and banking account numbers.

Five: Install Antispyware on Your Computer

In addition to installing antivirus protection on your computer, also purchase an antispyware program. This type of protection can remove an assortment of problems on your PC, including adware, rootkits and computer worms that can make your computer unusable in addition to permitting access to vital information.

Six: Add Firewall Protection to Your Computer

While adding antivirus and antispyware protection, also install firewall protection. This is the best way to avoid an attack from a dangerous network that may attempt to add software to your computer or hack into the system to collect the information about your banking accounts or credit card numbers. In most cases, an antivirus program includes antispyware and firewall software, but you may want to install two different systems on your computer for maximum protection.

SJC Tech
17381 Shelby Lane
North Ft. Myers, FL 33917
239-324-9039

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