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4 Ways to Keep Your Computer Safe from Viruses

If you are anything like many of our customers at Northampton Computer Repair, you worry a lot about your computer catching a nasty virus. While it’s true that the internet is full of viral menace, it doesn’t have to feel like an overwhelming or unavoidable thing. There are things that you as a user should do to reduce your chances of contracting a virus on your home computer or laptop – or rather, things that you should not do.

Surge protectors are an often ignored part of keeping your technology safe from power spikes and surges.  When I worked at a big-box store (I won't mention any names, but needles to say, my black and neon green uniform shirt was pretty eye catching) it was my goal to make sure that each person walked out the door with the right technology, every time.  People would come in and drop hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars on technology for their homes and businesses, buying anti-virus programs, backup programs and backup hardware to keep their investment safe.  Surprisingly, many people balked at the idea that they needed anything more to keep their data and digital gadgetry safe.  The lowly surge protector, and it’s bigger cousins the battery backup units are an integral part of keeping your devices and your information safe from harm.

When the subject of power protection comes up, many people think of the simple stick-style “power strips” that have been a staples of offices and homes for decades.  Unfortunately, these inexpensive items do not provide much, if any protection from normal surges and power spikes.  Computers, phones, routers and other high-tech digital devices are very susceptible to damage from power surges, and the last thing you want to is get hit with a surge and not have your machine turn on the next time you try to use it.  Protecting your electronics from damage when the power goes out or a circuit breaker trips is now more important than ever with how much we have come to rely on our technology.

Recently the Government of Syria was hacked and their emails were leaked to the web.  Of the 78 email inboxes that were hacked, some of them used the default password “12345? which some email servers use for new accounts with an instruction to change the password the first time you log on.