7 Tips to Secure your Computer

Security is not just about a firewall or antivirus. There are many layers of security you could apply to your home network. The following article will outline seven tips to secure every part of your home network from the router to your laptop.

Use a router with NAT and a firewall.

Most common attacks will be blocked by this solution as they won’t be able to connect directly to your computer. If you have a router provided by your ISP try buying one from Linksys or Netgear. This will usually come with tighter security and more features.

Enable WPA2 on your router

With the popularity or laptops wireless is more common than ever. A big problem is that lots of routers come with wireless security turned off. Or if provided by your ISP you may have WPA (If your lucky). The only problem is that WPA is compromised by a professional in 5 minutes. If your router does not support WPA2 I would recommend upgrading your router as you can be help responsible for anyone misusing your internet connection.

Use a Firewall on your PC

Using a firewall on your computer will stop any programs that get onto your computer from transferring any personal data over the internet. Comodo firewall is totally free and is not just a firewall. It also tells you when software is trying to install itself so you can see when unauthorised software is on your PC.

Update your Operating System

Keeping your operating system up to date is very important. The infamous Conficker worm spread so fast because many computers were not up to date. The patch to stop Conficker was released 4 months before the worm was released.

Keeping the operating system upto date is not just about patches but about running the latest version of your OS. Many computers are running Windows XP and with Windows 7 just released it has improved security over XP.

UAC

Many loathe it. The fact is that it does improve security and will notify you if a program tries to change part of your operating system that it shouldn’t. Also the UAC included in Windows 7 is less intrusive than in Vista.

x64 Operating System

64-bit versions of Windows allow you to only use drivers that are signed by Microsoft. This can reduced crashes from badly coded drivers and improve security.

IE Protected Mode or Firefox

Using the Latest browser is essential when surfing the internet. One wrong click and an old browser will be breached and install malware on your computer.