Things To Be Wary Of When Surfing The Net

One of the most common things that people do without giving it much thought is browsing the Internet. Certain actions you make can allow hackers to get into your personal files and steal your information. If you don’t have your files backed up to another location, it may be difficult to retrieve them. If you had your files deleted, you have a better chance at getting them back with a SSD data recovery service. Knowing just what’s lurking on the Internet and what you can do to prevent a cyber-attack is the best way to be prepared and protect yourself.

Malware

Malware, or malicious software, gets installed on your computer and is able to perform tasks without your knowledge. Malware can mean a lot of different things including viruses and a number of other kinds of malicious programs you definitely don’t want on your computer. If your computer has malware, it will suddenly run much slower than usual and you’ll have new toolbars installed that you can’t get rid of. Your home and search pages may change and you won’t be able to get your standard maintenance programs to work. To prevent malware, keep your virus protection software updated, run regular scans, and secure your network.  

Keyloggers

A keylogger will run in the background of your computer and will closely monitor the keystrokes you make while using your computer. Keyloggers can steal personal information such as passwords, credit card numbers, user names, bank account numbers, and much more. To detect an installed keylogger, make sure you perform regular virus scans using a good program. Be smart when you’re using the Internet and never open up a file or a link sent from someone you don’t know.

Phishing

Phishing usually happens when a cyber-criminal emails people and poses as a legitimate company trying to make you click a link. Phishing emails can look extremely legitimate, but if you know what to look for you have a better chance of detecting them. To detect a phishing email, look for spelling and grammar errors and hover your mouse over the link to see the url. Never click the link. Phishing is another way to steal sensitive information from users.

Spyware/Adware

Spyware and adware are two different things, but with one usually comes the other. Adware is a type of program that installs unwanted advertisements on your computer, sometimes in the form of a banner or a pop-up. Adware can include spyware, which is a tool that gets installed on your computer and collects your personal information. If you notice your computer is running a lot slower than usual, it may have adware or spyware installed on it. To remove it, try to find it in the location new programs get downloaded on your computer and uninstall it that way.

It’s more than annoying if you become the victim of a cyber-attack, it can actually be frightening. Knowing that someone else might have access to your personal information and can possibly steal your identity isn’t a good feeling, so it’s important to prepare yourself from these risks. Purchase a really good computer security program, avoiding the free basic downloads. Ensure it has a two-way firewall and keep it updated. Be wary of suspicious emails and never click on links without checking the link location first. Keep your files backed up regularly to ensure you don’t lose precious documents and pictures.