For a lot of people, computers run most of our lives. We do our work on computers, we play on our computers, we interact with one another on our computers. That’s why protecting them from data loss is important. Imagine if you lost all of your computer’s data because of malware or a natural disaster. How would your life change?

We at CompuSys have compiled a list of best computer protection practices. We believe that prevention is key in protecting your computer, so we will begin with our preventative measures.

Back up your data often

1287061_27729222Whether you manually backup your data to external hard drives or have it automatically backed up to the cloud, it is very important to make sure there is a second copy of your work somewhere. There are many ways to back up your data:

  • Manually back up on DVDs, flash drives, or external hard drives
  • Use a free online service to store your data, such as Dropbox or Google Drive
  • A paid backup service that offers support and does the backing up for you


Install an anti-virus software

An anti-virus software can do many things. Most scan your computer for existing viruses. Some also do preventative maintenance by scanning documents before you download them and warning you if the document is corrupt. Do your research before committing to an anti-virus software; they are not all created equally.

Keep your anti-virus software up to date

New viruses are continuously created and released. Because of this, software companies work tirelessly to protect their customer’s data by releasing patches and security updates for their product. It is crucial that you regularly update your anti-virus software because your computer could become vulnerable at any time.

Check the source

Whenever a source asks you for private information, such as your password or social security number, check to see who exactly is asking. If it is in the form of an email, check the email address and make sure it is legitimate. Contact the company if you have to to ask if this is a legitimate request. If you are on an eCommerce website and you are about to put in your credit card information, check to see if the website is protected by looking for an “https://” in the address bar. For more information about HTTPS, click here.

Use complicated passwords

Sometimes passwords such as “1234” and “password” are used. This is considered bad practice because they are easily guessable. We recommend using at least one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, a number, and a special character, if the application allows it. Try to avoid using any letters or numbers significant to you, such as your social security number or pet’s name. These are easily guessable if the hacker knows information about you.

Conclusion

There is much more you can do by yourself to protect against data loss and data theft. If you are interested in learning more about how CompuSys can assist in data backup and recover or managed anti-virus services, contact us using the form on this page or call us at (386) 238-1692.