The key to protecting your computers, mobile devices and information from hackers is secure PC software. Hackers (also known as cybercriminals) are able to hack into your computer or other device for many reasons, including stealing, altering and deleting data you consider valuable. Hackers have malicious intentions unlike other thieves who make use of stolen items for legitimate purposes. They are most concerned with the unauthorized access to sensitive information. This can happen before you even know there is something wrong.

The three most important steps to secure your computer software are passwords, a firewall and http://www.pcinfoblog.com/best-antivirus-for-mac protection against viruses. If you adhere to these best guidelines, it’s less likely that your computer will be hacked by malware or hackers (software which encrypts data and requires payment to unlock its unlocking).

Change the name of your administrator account. Be sure to select a strong password that contains lower- and uppercase numbers, letters and computer symbols. Avoid using a password with a shorter length, like 1234, because hackers are able to employ automated tools to crack passwords that are easy to guess in a matter of minutes.

Update your operating system and other software. The majority of software updates include security patches to help guard against hackers. Install all patches and set up automatic updates if you have them, to decrease the amount of time you are exposed to hackers.

If you own a laptop, or any other portable device that is not being used, ensure that the drive is protected. This is especially crucial for UF students. Windows allows users to enable encryption by clicking Settings > Update & Security > Device encryption. This will secure the entire internal drive as well as most external drives, such as SD cards.