stay safe Prevent Your Computer from Being Hacked

Stop it before it Starts!

User-Submitted Article

Today more and more people are using their computer for everything from education to online bank accounts. It would be great if there were no risk online, but there are! Hackers are a major problem when it comes to your personal computer files, follow these steps to make sure your safe!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer

1. 1
   
   Save those files!

   Always make backups of your files and folders and store them in a separate place than your computer.

2. 2

   Make sure you have a good firewall. This will prevent worms, Trojan viruses and spy ware from infecting your system. Some applications require that you disable your firewall, so use good judgement.

3. 3

   Review your browser and email setting for security. Make sure to constantly erase your "cookies" folder. Cookies pose almost no threat for damaging computers however; they do track your daily actions online. Set your "internet zone" for high and your "trusted sites" for medium low security.

4. 4

   Watch out for Active-X and JavaScript files as hackers can plant viruses and other harmful elements in your programs.

5. 5
   
   Norton is the way to go!

   Install some kind of anti virus software and make sure to set it for automatic updates. New viruses are found everyday, so make sure you update regularly.

6. 6
   
   Don't open attachments!

   Don't open unknown email attachments, many of these contain viruses and allow hackers to get into your system.

7. 7

   Only run and download programs from places you trust. Never send these files to friends and co-workers due to the high virus risks.

8. 8

   Turn off your computer and disconnect from the internet. Hackers can't get into your system if your computer is off.

Read more: How to Prevent Your Computer from Being Hacked | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4503871_prevent-computer-being-hacked.html#ixzz1GUQOYwZl