Owning a computer comes with its fair share of risks. There have been recent reports of security scares for computer users. Samsung came under a lot of criticism for disabling its windows update feature. Critics claim that this move exposes laptop users to high security threats. In a related report, Adobe produced an emergency update for its Flash application. Adobe took this measure after hackers took advantage of a weakness in this application. When a computer is vulnerable to security attacks, you can expect sensitive information to be accessed and your computer’s operations to be disrupted. Here are five measures you can take to protect your computer from malware and hackers:

Keep Windows Up To Date

Hackers are notorious for bypassing Windows’ security features, more the reason why Microsoft provides its subscribers with system updates occasionally. These updates are automatically downloaded and installed through the Windows update feature. However, to exploit this feature, one has to enable the setting that installs update automatically. Simply move to the start menu box and key in “windows update”. When a window emerges, change the settings by scrolling down the drop down list and selecting install updates automatically.

Install a Firewall

A firewall is like your computer’s internal security guard. Firewalls can either come in form of software, or in form of hardware. Each type of firewall forms a barrier between your computer and unauthorized programs attempting to penetrate your computer through the internet. Computers come with inbuilt firewalls. You can enable the inbuilt firewall feature on your computer. You can also buy firewall software programs for additional security. Basically, firewalls notify you of unauthorized entries into your system and give you a chance to act before a threat turns into a security breach.

Install Antivirus Software

Antivirus software is different from firewalls in that it prevents malicious programs from invading your computer. When anti-virus software like Bitdefender detects malicious code such as a virus, Trojan horse, malware, worms, and adware, it will try to remove or disarm it. These malicious codes are capable of infecting computers without your knowledge hence the need to set them up for automatic updates. Before you shop for an antivirus program, make sure you check its customer reviews and ratings. It is also important to go for the latest versions.

Update Your Web Browser

Web browsers like other software can contain bugs. Hackers usually create fake websites, or infect genuine ones. When a web browser is affected in any of these ways, a hacker is able to monitor what you type, and your passwords and credit card numbers. This is the reason people are advised to use the latest version of their web browsers to prevent these security risks. To receive the latest updates, make sure you enable windows update as shown above.

Install Spyware Software

While anti-virus software protects your computer against malicious software, antispyware protects it from spyware. This is software that is deviously installed on one’s computer to allow others to monitor their activities. Spyware gathers sensitive information about your browsing activities and other private information, or produces annoying pop-up ads on your browser. The best way of protecting your computer from spyware is by installing anti-spyware software.

If you have a computer, one of the primary maintenance tasks is to protect it from malware and hackers. When you leave your computer vulnerable to these threats, you are likely to expose yourself to identity theft, fraud, or even cause your computer to crash and fail. Updating windows, turning on the firewall feature, installing antivirus software, installing antispyware software, and updating your windows browser are just some of the ways of securing your computer from these risks.