Secure pc software is the key to protecting your device, computer and your data from hackers. Hackers (also called cybercriminals) are able to hack into your computer or other device for many reasons, including taking, altering and deleting information you consider important. Hackers have malicious intentions, unlike other thieves who steal items for legitimate purposes. They are most concerned about unauthorized access to sensitive information. This can occur find more information before you realize that something is not right.
Passwords, a virus prevention program and firewalls are the three most important steps to secure your computer software. If you follow these best practices your computer will be less vulnerable to being hacked by malware, hackers or ransomware (software which encrypts your data and demands payment in order to unlock it).
Change the name of your administrator account. Make sure to choose an effective password that has upper- and lowercase numbers, letters and computer symbols. Avoid using a password with a shorter length such as 1234 because hackers are able to use automated tools to break passwords that are easy to guess in just a few minutes.
Update your operating system and other programs. Most software updates contain security patches that help guard against hacking. Install all patches and enable automatic updates if you have them, to decrease the time you are vulnerable to hackers.
If you own a laptop, or any other portable device that is not being used, make sure the drive is protected. This is especially crucial for UF Students. Windows allows users to enable encryption by clicking Settings > Update and Security > Device encryption. This will protect your entire internal drive, as well as the majority of external drives, such as SD cards.