Keeping devices safe is very important to protect our privacy and also to avoid problems that affect their proper functioning. There are many tools, methods and strategies that we can use for this. However, the basics, the essentials to protect ourselves, do not require much. For this reason, in this article we want to give some simple guidelines to protect our computer in 5 minutes.
How to protect a computer in 5 steps
As we say, we have many possibilities to protect any type of computer or mobile. Many programs that prevent the entry of threats, configurations, additional measures … We are going to see some that we can implement quickly and that can come in handy to avoid security problems .
Change all passwords
Something basic and that we can do at any time is to change all the passwords . They form the main defensive barrier against intruders, but in many cases users keep the same password for a long time or even use it in several places at the same time.
Therefore, something we can do is change the passwords of the computer, social networks or any service that we use. Creating a strong password must have letters (upper and lower case), numbers, and special symbols. We can choose to create them with a key manager and thus ensure that we comply with the appropriate measures.
Do a scan with an antivirus
It is also very important to do a scan with an antivirus . We can make use of online services or install a program on our computer. Of course, we must make sure that we choose a good option and that it really finds possible threats.
A good antivirus allows us to analyze each file on the computer and quickly see if we have any threats. Malware is very present on the network. For example when downloading attachments by email, installing a program, etc.
Upgrade equipment
Of course, another action we must do immediately is to ensure that our equipment is up to date with the latest versions. There are many vulnerabilities that can appear and that could be exploited by hackers.
By correcting these security flaws we ensure that our equipment is protected. Hence the importance of installing all the patches and updates that are not only for the operating system, but also for the different programs that we have installed.
Protect networks
We must also take into account the importance of adequately protecting wireless networks . If we have intruders on the Wi-Fi at home, they could also have access to the connected equipment and come to deploy attacks that compromise security.
This makes it essential to protect Wi-Fi with a good password, proper encryption (avoiding obsolete options such as WEP) and to always keep the router up to date. All of this will help us protect connectivity.
Install a VPN
A VPN can be very useful to connect to public Wi-Fi networks. They allow you to encrypt the connection and prevent our information from being leaked. They are available for all types of devices and there are also free and paid. In our case the use would be to protect our equipment when entering networks that may be insecure.
In short, by following these steps we can protect our equipment in 5 minutes. We simply have to carry out the installation of some tools, analysis and protect our passwords well.
