Protect Your Computer from Viruses, Hackers, and Spies

Guest Post by Jessica Walker

With increasing cybersecurity threats, security measures to protect your computer from viruses, hackers, and spies are essential. Here are some important tips that will help you secure your computer system:

Turn on a firewall

A firewall is essential built-in security feature that comes with all Windows versions. It protects your system from malicious content coming through the internet. It builds a secure wall between your PC and open internet. While this feature comes built-in on all Windows version, it doesn’t come enabled on all systems. Check and enable Firewall on your Windows 10 PC immediately.
To turn Windows Firewall on, go to the Start button and right-click on it to select Settings. Once you are on Settings window, select Update & Security > Windows Security > Firewall & Network Protection. Here, you will find multiple options to enable the firewall including domain network, private network, and public network. To enable the firewall for any of these, select it and turn the toggle on under Windows Defender Firewall option. This simple step will instantly help you protect your computer from viruses and other online threats.

Use complex and secure passwords

The next simple yet effective tip is to use complex and secure passwords for all your account. You create multiple accounts over time on numerous platforms. These accounts may include social media accounts, email accounts, apps access, online banking accounts, and more. Create strong passwords for all these accounts by using alphanumeric passwords: a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters.

Furthermore, you can use password manager tools to create new passwords and protect your passwords and other information in secured encrypted vault. Here, you can secure numerous passwords in secured vault and you only need to remember one master password to unlock this password manager app. This smart tool makes work easy for you.

Use two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication offers advanced security for all your accounts. While this security feature is available with almost all your accounts, you should enable this to protect your computer from viruses, hackers, and spies. Under two-factor authentication, you need to enter your password to access your account. You get an additional one-time code on your mobile device that you need to enter to access your account. This powerful feature saves you from unknown sign-ins even if someone manages to access your password.

Check your browser’s security settings

While you perform numerous tasks on browsers every day, it becomes important to keep them safe and threat free. Here, each browser comes with built-in security features that help you monitor your activities online. While various security features come built-in on these browsers, you can also review its settings to set privacy & security features as per your needs. You can even use the incognito mode where browser clears your search and browsing history when you quit the app or close all private browsing tabs and windows.

Avoid suspicious and unknown links

You get tons of emails every day from unknown senders asking you to open an attachment or to click on certain links. While this is long practiced step followed by cybercriminals to attack user worldwide, it is still in practice and they dupe people with their nefarious tricks. Thus, you should simply avoid these emails asking you for great bonuses and offers while suggesting you open an attachment or clicking on links.

Once you open these attachments or click on any of these links your system will be under malware threat, thus it is best practice to avoid links & attachments that are unknown to you. You can also scan every email before you open them for better security. Following this simple yet effective tip, you can easily protect your computer from viruses and multiple other threats effortlessly. And having a anti-malware in your PC is also positive point.

Avoid open network

The lucrative offer of free Wi-Fi at the coffee store may land you in trouble as open networks are extremely easy to breach. Cybercriminals could use a small piece of malicious software to breach your system security on an open network. Using online net banking apps or doing shopping online on open network would be a nightmare for you if you end up being the victim of malware attack. Thus, you should always avoid using open networks like free Wi-Fi to avoid unnecessary threat. Here, you should opt password protected encrypted network for better security. For better network security, you can ask your network provider and protect your Wi-Fi with strong password.


Jessica Walker is a technical content writer. Her writing forte is cyber security, virus and identity protection, and she is keenly interested in writing other technical blogs.