How to Prevent Computer Security Threats? Expert Tips

Last Updated on 2 months by Touhid

Computer security threats can impact the smooth running of your computer and it has serious harm to a computer system. So, you must know how to prevent computer security threats.

In this post, we’ll put some useful tips that can help to prevent computer security threats to the safe running of your computer.

What are Computer Security Threats?

A security threat in a computer system is a type of threat that can harm your computer.  It is a security breach of a computer system. The computer can be compromised or hacked by cyber attackers.

Cyber attackers are looking to steal sensitive information such as business details, credit card information, personal details, or any other information that they can sell to others for business purposes.

The most common types of computer security threats are viruses, adware, malware, rootkits, hackers, and ransomware. These types of threats can lead to cyber-attacks and data, or computer systems being hacked or damaged by attackers.

How to Prevent Computer Security Threats?

The best tips on how to prevent computer security threats are as follows:

• Create a Strong password.
• Use a Unique Password.
• Delete Suspicious Email.
• Use Antivirus Software.
• Ensure Up to date Anti-virus Software.
• Never Deactivate your Antivirus Software.
• Don’t Download Untrusted Email Attachments.
• Never Download Software from Unreliable Sites.
• Take Regular Data backup.
• Monitor Security Audit logs and Systems.
• Use Data Encryption.
• Keep Software Updated.
• Train your Employees.

Create a Strong password

How to prevent computer security threats? Create a strong password for your computer login and online accounts to prevent security threats.

We are using very simple passwords such as date of birth, mobile no, employee ID, student ID, and 123456 to remember our minds. To prevent computer security threats, you must create a strong and standard password to secure your computer.

Expert Tips

To create a strong password you can combine letters, numbers, and special characters (minimum 10 characters in total) and change them regularly.

For example: $iu@T&7k%; is a strong and standard password.

Use Unique Password

Our security experts recommended that use strong and unique passwords for each account. If you use the same password on different accounts and if a hacker gets access to your one account, then the hacker will also get access to all other accounts.

Expert Tips

So, if you want to prevent cyber security threats and want to protect your sensitive information from attackers, then use strong and unique passwords for each account.

For example:

• Email account –> Use a strong and unique password.
• Facebook account –> Use a strong and unique password.

Delete Suspicious Email 

If you receive an unwanted email from an unknown source, the email seems to be suspicious or phishing e-mail. The email may have attachment files and if you download the file, malware can install on your computer to hack your information.

A suspicious e-mail may contain a virus or malware to redirect you to a vulnerable website to steal your information.

Expert Tips

• If you want to avoid phishing emails, just delete any email that raises confusion.
• If you think your incoming email is suspicious then you can direct a phone call to the sender to confirm as he sends the mail.
• In addition to simply deleting the email, you can also mark it as spam, or as suspicious and it is better not to click on that type of email.

Learn more about How to delete Spam Email?

Use Antivirus Software

Antivirus software is a program that helps you how to prevent computer security threats such as hackers, viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and malware threats. It scans every file that comes through the internet, USB devices, or external hard disk to your computer and helps to protect your system.

You can install one of the following anti-viruses on your computer to prevent cyber security threats.

• Bitdefender
• Norton
• Kaspersky
• Panda, ESET
• Avast
• AVG

Ensure Up to date Anti-virus Software

Antivirus software helps to protect a computer from the latest cyber threats such as viruses, malware, and spyware. Every day new versions of computer viruses are being released and your computer must be protected from these viruses by keeping the anti-virus software up to date.

Expert Tips

The best way to keep antivirus software up to date is to buy a reputable antivirus which is a subscription-based program.

Never Deactivate your Antivirus Software

When you are installing new software and ask for disabling your antivirus software that means the software is pirated or malicious software. This type of software may also contain viruses, trojans, ransomware, and any other malware.

Expert Tips

• Never disable or deactivate your anti-virus for installing new software.
• And legitimate software would never ask you to disable your anti-virus.

Don’t Download Untrusted Email Attachments

If you receive an email from an unknown source with an attachment file, then don’t download the file. The attachment file may have a malware script, if you download and open the file then the malware will execute and infect your computer.

Expert Tips

So, it is better never to download untrusted email attachments to prevent cyber security threats.

Never Download Software from Unreliable Sites

Cyber security experts recommend downloading software and apps from trusted sources, but our common habit is that we are download free software from unknown unreliable sites.

Expert Tips

So, don’t download software, apps, and other content from insecure websites without verifying their legitimacy because these sites may contain malware that will infect your computer system.

A website is secure by SSL (Secure Socket Layer) In the URL, you can see that a website starts with https:// such as https://cyberthreatportal.com.

Take Regular Data backup

A data backup is a process of copying or archiving data files and folders to be able to restore data in case of a data loss event. It is secondary storage of data which is used for data protection.

Expert Tips

You can take regular data back-up manually or automatically by archiving important documents to an external hard drive, or using Dropbox or using Google Drive, or any other external devices, etc.

Monitor Security Audit logs and Systems

Regular monitoring of the network and system is a process that can assist in the early identification of a computer virus by examining security audit logs. Audit logs must be checked regularly to ensure that your network and system remain protected by monitoring suspicious traffic and events.

Expert Tips

The Web Application Firewall has a comprehensive logging feature to record significant events. The following types of logs are available in the Web Application Firewall:

• Web Firewall Logs
• Access logs
• Audit logs
• System Logs
• Network Firewall Logs

Use Data Encryption

Encryption is the process of transforming your sensitive data in such a way that only authorized users can access it and make it unreadable for unauthorized users.

It is important because it allows you to securely protect your computer data such as credit card numbers, bank details, and login credentials that you don’t want anyone else to have access to.

Learn more about Data encryption

Keep Software Updated

You must ensure that all-used software is updated such as anti-virus software, computer operating systems, and application software. The main reason for downloading and installing the latest version of the software is to stay protected from security threats.

Old version software may have some bugs or vulnerabilities in code and when a new version of the software is released, the version usually includes fixes for those types of security vulnerabilities.

Expert Tips

Manual software updates are a time-consuming process, so it is better to use automatic software updates for as many software as possible.

Train your Employees

Every organization should have arranged an awareness workshop and training program on how to prevent computer security threats. It is the best way to improve employee’s technical skills. The workshop and training program may include the following topics:

• Cyber security and its importance
• Different types of computer security threats
• How to prevent cyber security threats?
• How to create a strong password?
• How to update application software and OS?
• Different types of cybercrime and cyber-attacks etc.
• Usages of social media and software

Conclusion

Finally, it is very important to protect our computer system from cyber security threats. Our security expert has suggested special tips on how to prevent computer security threats. Hope the article will be helpful for you to protect your computer system.