There's many ways to protect yourself from hackers and prevent yourself from being harmed by malicious attacks by hackers, but in this article I'll be focusing on the ten most prevalent attack routes that you can close off. This isn't a top ten list, but more of a list of ten tips to follow. By following these ten tips, you'll have a good baseline standard down to protect yourself from hackers.
1. Install Anti-Malware Software - First and foremost comes the installation of anti-malware software. In the earlier years of the
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internet, many top ten lists for security listed this as installing anti-virus software. Hackers have come a long way and viruses are no longer the only threat to your system. Malware encompasses not only viruses, but all manners of spyware as well. Malware is one of the easiest to use tool kits in a hacker’s arsenal and yet can be one of the most annoying pieces of software to get out of a computer. Conficker, for example, is a piece of malware that is still lingering as a threat, almost 2 years after its first discovery. Anti-malware can be more than just one piece of software; in fact, I suggest you install multiple types of anti-malware software. Symantec Antivirus, AVG Antivirus, Ad Aware and Malware Bytes are all good programs to install for protection.
2. Update All Software - Many people forget or just outright refuse to update their software. Businesses are required by some regulatory requirements to update their systems with the latest vendor supplied patches, so why shouldn't you? Some businesses don't patch immediately due to resource constraints or system availability but on your personal computer, those two are not obstacles. There are some nay-sayers that believe that patches will crash their system, but this is false. Patching and updating software are vital in keeping up to date and closing off system vulnerabilities.
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3.
Delete Unknown E-Mails - Hackers use techniques such as
spoofing and
phishing to hurt innocent users. No matter how legitimate the e-mail may seem, if you do not know the sender, delete the e-mail. If there's an attachment, then definitely delete the e-mail. Let's compare this to regular mail: would you open a package that was sent to you from a random stranger during an anthrax scare?
4. Don't Click on Ads - There are tons of ads out there now, many of which are now interactive. These interactive ads usually link to malware infested websites that are used by hackers. Malware that can log your keystrokes or turn your computer into a zombie on a botnet. In addition, hackers may find exploits or vulnerabilities in third party applications such as Java or Flash that can be used to hack into your computer. This means an ad can be created that actually can exploit a vulnerability giving them access to your computer.
5. Run Anti-Malware Scans Often - I listed installing anti-malware at the top but you have to note that just installing won't do the trick. Set your anti-malware software programs to run, at the very least, weekly. If you don't scan your system, then what's the point in having the anti-malware program? The best times to set these up are at night, when you don't use the computer. In addition many of these software programs have a Shutdown after completion option.
Read on to page 2 to see the remaining five tips from the ten tips on how to protect your computer from hackers.
