Every day we use more devices connected to the Internet, spend more time on social networks and generate more digital information such as documents or photos that are usually confidential. This causes increasingly have more dispersed sensitive information on different devices or hosted in the cloud so we should remember some safety tips which are not new but still neglected by many people.

Use common sense and caution with our devices and when we surf the Internet are the two best advices that can be present. Here we describe some security issue:

Keep updated both your operating system and the applications used. Software developers often release updates to fix security breaches as they are discovered. Such updates must be installed as soon as its available and we will thus make things difficult for those that try to take advantage of those safety holes with slightly licit ends.

You can download free antivirus and install it, use another program besides anti-malware. There are many and some are good enough to protect without consuming excessive resources. Do not hesitate to seek some such tool either free or paid because the PC will prevent contamination with unwanted applications and that only cause problems.

Beware passwords. Everyone knows about this but there are still millions of people use passwords that can easily be broken. It is true that every time we use more services and multiplies the number of passwords that we need but we must not be lazy and have to choose strong passwords (sufficiently long, that mix letters, numbers and special characters, etc.) also change it periodically.

Beware of files downloaded from dubious sources or received by email. It is tempting to go to Google, search something we need and try to download the first link provided but careful because many sites do not offer what they claim to offer and only mask viruses and unwanted programs in the downloaded files. For it neither installs any software of doubtful origin nor open suspicious enclosures received by email though you may know the recipient. These files could run any application on the device or install unwanted applications such as toolbar advertising.

Precaution with the public and open networks. Lately we connect to the Internet from almost anywhere using networks of cafes, hotels, buses, malls or anywhere else. Beware of these networks because they are usually open, are insecure and do not know who might be sniffing the traffic that passes through them, so avoids or minimizes access to sensitive sites such as bank, mail or social networks.

These are just some tips and there are many more but with these and some of common sense you’ve taken an important step to make your data more secure.

Tagged : tips on computer security