These days, panic is rampant in offices around the world due to the Wannacry virus alarm, a malware of the Ransomware genre that exploiting a Windows flaw discovered by the NSA, manages to block and encrypt all the data of the infected computer by asking for a ransom in money to free them. In this case, more than ever before, there has been a lot of media and journalistic hype and even if the alarmism has been too much, it becomes a precious opportunity to understand that you can no longer joke with cyber security and it is It is necessary to take all measures to protect PC data from hackers, at all levels, both on office and home computers.
This is even more important given the recent revelations about malware circulated by organizations such as the NSA and the CIA, which instead of working to protect the people, are committed to creating very dangerous tools to spy on everyone, which inevitably end up in the hands of criminal hackers ready to take advantage of it without looking anyone in the face.
Thanks to the diffusion of information, social networks and the growing amount of devices, not only PCs, connected to the network, for cybercriminal groups it is really child's play to put out scams, viruses, ransomware and even targeted intrusion attacks to steal passwords and money.
As already explained in another article, on why someone may want to hack my PC, we are all precious prey, none excluded, from the moment we connect to the internet and exchange information with the world, of any kind, even those that seem the most meaningless.
Even if I have already talked about it in several episodes of this blog, we therefore renew, in this summary article, the 8 golden rules to protect data and PC from hackers and viruses .
1) Always update the system and programs
The Wannacry virus has been successful, as well as other malware in the past, only on Windows computers not updated with the latest security patches that Microsoft releases weekly. Windows must therefore always be updated keeping the Windows Update service active, checking frequently if it works and if important updates have not been left out. To find Windows Update on your PC, just search for it from the Start menu. If you are using a version of Windows that is no longer supported, such as XP or Vista, then that computer is open to any hacker intrusion and should never be connected to the internet.
Obviously this applies not only to non-Windows PCs, but also for Android mobile devices, for iPhones and iPads, for Macs and any other software installed on the PC. It is always important to use programs updated to the latest version especially if they are popular programs of large companies such as Microsoft (the Office suite) and Adobe. It would also be useful to avoid using old programs that are still very sensitive to vulnerabilities such as Java or Flash.
2) Use a secure browser to go on the internet
We have seen, in another article, what is the safest browser by comparing Chrome, Firefox and others, emphasizing how Chrome is preferable for the protection of internet browsing and shared data online.
3) Use an updated antivirus
It doesn't matter which antivirus you are using, the important thing is that it is updated automatically and daily with the latest malware findings.
In Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 you can also use the included antivirus, Windows Defender or, especially for Windows 7, you can install one of the best free antivirus.
4) Other security programs: Antimalware, antispyware and firewall
The use of additional security programs is optional, but fundamental as appropriate.
For example, an antimalware such as Malwarebytes to do monthly scans is necessary on all PCs (in free version)
An antispyware like Spybot is very effective, but remains optional.
An antiadware like ADWCleaner is also very important because it is light and free.
The Firewall is already included with Windows, so you just have to make sure it's active.
Only in special cases is the installation of an additional program recommended (see here the best free firewalls).
These are also some of the best programs to check if your PC is being spied on.
5) Protect personal data with backups
The most dangerous and most harmful malware today are ransomware, because they not only prevent the use of the PC, but they encrypt the data making it impossible to recover. The seriousness of these viruses is in the fact that even if you remove the ransomware such as Wannacry, the data now encrypted and blocked are still inaccessible forever. It is therefore necessary to have regular backups of important data that are stored on a different disk of the computer or on another PC or in the cloud.
In another article I explained all the ways to make a backup to prevent disasters and not to lose data.
6) Use secure passwords for everything.
For every web access it is important to follow all the security rules to generate passwords that are impossible for anyone to discover, even for a family member, even for a hacker. As a rule, you should never use names and words that relate to us and our past and not even any word contained in the Italian dictionary or other languages. You should never ever use the same password for multiple accounts.
About how to choose secure passwords and the strategies to be followed to protect web accounts I have spoken extensively in the general guide on how to surf online safely on the internet.
Speaking of passwords, also remember to protect each computer and mobile phone used and always activate, when possible, two-factor authentication, that is, the variable code required after entering the password.
7) Protect the wireless network
You can have the most protected computer in the world, but if it then connects to a monitored and spied wifi network, all the precautions taken become useless. You can therefore protect your network with an internet access password and a secure password for accessing the router's administration console.
It also becomes very important to protect the home wifi network against intrusions and to know, at least in theory, how hackers can spy on us and infect us with their malware.
In addition, to protect PC data, it is also necessary to be careful and take measures to surf the Internet safely when connected to an unsecured wifi network.
8) Protect data on mobile phones
If you arm your PC against any possible hacker intrusion, but then we have the smartphone free to be spied on by friends or relatives, everything becomes useless. Today more than ever, the mobile phone requires to be protected, not so much with an antivirus, but with access protection measures and attention in the installed apps.
The most important thing is to set a lock screen on your phone with PIN or password to unlock it, but there are also other precautions not to be spied on the phone and to protect Android from malware.
To continue, I refer to the page with 10 important tips for internet security .
