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How to Protect HP Laptop from Viruses & Malware (18 Step Guide)

By Online Cloud Security | Last Updated on September 6, 2021

how to protect your HP laptop from viruses and malware

Many HP laptops are known for being reliable for business professionals. From using the laptop for online banking or work related purposes, HP laptops are usually used for everything. However, HP laptops can also be tricky to protect at times because many threats lurk around the web, which is why we made a guide on how to protect your HP laptop from viruses and malware.

Strong internet security software should be essential for your HP laptop. Here are some tips on how you can protect HP laptop from viruses and malware:

Table of Contents

Protecting an HP Laptop from Malware

HP is one of the most trusted, if not THE most trusted, brands when it comes to laptops, taking a 22.6% total worldwide PC market share in Q2 2021. HP laptop has a series of advanced features and state-of-the-art technology in their products, making HP laptop perfect for everyday computing use at home or work, or school. 

Due to HP’s popularity around the world, HP laptop has been a target for virus writers and hackers who want to steal personal information from HP notebook users by using malware. In this article, we will look into some tips on how you can protect your HP laptop from getting infected with viruses.

1. Keep Your Antivirus Software Updated

Even though having antivirus software won’t prevent a virus from infecting your HP laptop, updating your HP antivirus software will help stop newly-discovered viruses. HP laptop comes with HP ProtectTools security software, which includes HP Antivirus software. 

using HP support assistant to protect HP laptop from virus
updating HP support assistant to prevent HP laptop from getting a virus

HP recommends that you update your HP Security Software at least once every week to ensure you are protected from the most recent virus threats. If you don’t know how to update HP antivirus software, click on the HP Support Assistant icon in the system tray and then click Update Manager to see if there are any updates available for HP ProtectTools.

2. Install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

If you think having just one layer of defense is not enough, consider installing another free anti-malware program called Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a popular tool for detecting and removing different types of HP viruses and other malware, including spyware, adware, and ransomware. Not only does this software help protect HP laptops from malware, but it also removes any existing HP virus on your HP notebook.

3. Use Caution When Downloading Files from the Internet

If you have downloaded files from the HP Support website or any other third-party websites before, you know that HP always asks if you want to run or save the file after downloading it. 

downloading a file with HP support

While this might be an inconvenience to some people who just want to quickly download a file without having to make additional clicks, we highly recommend that you click ” Save File” instead of Run because some malicious files can cause damage when opened using HP’s HP ProtectTools software. 

If you accidentally downloaded and ran an HP virus, reboot your HP laptop in ” safe mode with networking ” and then run HP antivirus software to remove HP malware from your HP laptop.

4. Use an Antivirus Program That Detects HP Malware

Most antivirus programs detect HP viruses because they are programmed to look for specific files related to HP laptops. While having any antivirus program installed on your HP notebook will provide security against different types of malware, it is better to use one specializing in removing HP viruses. 

One such example would be the free version of Bitdefender. The advantage of using Bitdefender is that it has excellent protection against various forms of HP virus. It also has a powerful HP virus-fighting tool to remove HP malware from HP laptops.

5. Perform Regular HP Laptop Maintenance

Just like any other HP laptop, you should also perform regular maintenance on your HP notebook computer by going to the HP support website and downloading the necessary software updates to keep your HP laptop free from viruses. 

You should also delete temporary files and cookies weekly so that if a virus tries to use one of these files for its purposes, the file will already have been removed from your device when it attempts to execute. 

In addition, removing unused programs from HP laptops will help reduce the attack surface for potential threats because fewer programs mean fewer opportunities for hackers to exploit.

6. Avoid Using an HP Laptop on Public Wi-Fi Networks

HP laptop is powered by the best HP Support software, which gives HP computers all kinds of perks such as HP Password Manager. 

However, using HP password manager on an unsecured wireless network might not be a wise move because hackers can use tools that allow them to intercept data transmitted over public networks and HP laptops that automatically connect to such networks without requiring you to type in your HP password will make it easier for hackers to steal sensitive information from your HP computer. 

While we recommend connecting only trusted HP laptop devices to your office Wi-Fi, if you must use a public network, connect to it with a VPN service so you can encrypt the traffic moving across the Internet and even mask your real IP address.

7. HP Laptop Security System

HP laptops provide HP ProtectTools security software which allows you to encrypt HP laptop data, hard disk HP info and use biometric authentication to prevent unauthorized users from accessing your HP device. 

Using an HP password manager is another way of protecting HP laptop information because not only does it allow you to log in without typing in a password for the sake of convenience, using HP Password Manager will require you to enter a unique HP password that is different from the one used for logging into your HP laptop.

8. Use Firewall on Your Device

Windows Defender firewall

A firewall is designed primarily to protect your system against external attacks by controlling what programs are allowed access through your internet connection. Even if an HP successfully identifies vulnerabilities in the operating system or HP laptop applications, a firewall will prevent the virus from gaining access to the HP laptop

This means that in addition to running anti-malware software with updated virus definitions, you should also install an external HP firewall on the HP laptop, so the HP computer’s internal system has another layer of protection.

9. Having a Secure Password Manager

1Password password manager for security
1Password Website

It is highly recommended that you have a secure password manager installed on your HP laptop because using a secure password manager when logging into your device makes it more secure than it would be if you were simply typing in a generic password when attempting to log into your system. 

A secure password manager such as 1Password or Keepass can generate complex passwords and store them for future use without even requiring you to type them in; HP Password Manager makes it possible for you to securely login to your HP device without worrying about your HP laptop falling into the wrong hands.

10. HP Laptop Antivirus Software

McAfee Total Protection antivirus program
McAfee Total Protection Dashboard

HP laptops are provided with HP Support software that includes anti-malware protection, which can be used to scan your HP devices and identify any existing vulnerabilities. Still, this virus removal tool might not always be able to identify and remove all viruses from HP laptops. 

In addition, HP also provides a separate antivirus program which can be purchased separately from the HP support software. 

Even if you have an antivirus program installed on your HP laptop, we still recommend signing up for a paid subscription to a premier virus removal service such as Norton or McAfee because this HP antivirus software HP laptops are not equipped with all the latest virus definitions, especially if they are out of date.

11. A Separate Firewall for Your HP Laptop

HP laptops are powered by HP Support software which includes an HP firewall that can be used to prevent hackers from being able to access your HP laptop remotely. While having an active firewall is always a good idea for security, it is important to note that firewalls do not stand guard around the clock and only log suspicious activity after detecting something unusual. 

Therefore, even though relying on software-based HP firewalls is better than nothing, you should install an external HP firewall on the HP laptop, so the device has another layer of protection against attacks.

12. Update Your HP Laptop Device to HP ProtectTools

HP laptops come with HP ProtectTools security software that allows you to encrypt HP laptop data, hard disk HP info and use biometric authentication to prevent unauthorized users from accessing your HP device. 

In addition to using an HP password manager and running anti-malware software, we highly recommend signing up for a paid subscription to a premier virus removal service such as Norton or McAfee because these HP antivirus software providers offer the latest virus definitions whenever they become available. 

The advantage of subscribing to a service like this is that not only will you get support for HP laptop version updates but it will also allow you to receive new virus definitions every day automatically.

13. USB Security

Set up an automatic schedule on your HP laptop to scan removable HP storage devices such as USB HP drives, HP flash drives, and SD cards. Having the HP virus protection software search your HP devices for viruses on a regular basis is an important part of protecting your HP laptop because it could save you from your HP device transmitting the virus onto other computers after getting infected.

14. Encrypt Your HP Device

device encryption windows 10

Encrypting data on your HP laptop with 256-bit encryption allows you to block anyone who might try to access any files saved on an HP device without first entering the correct password. 

This means that if someone were able to gain access to all of your HP passwords, they will still not be able to decrypt or view any of this data unless they know what password was used to encrypt the HP device. 

HP laptop owners can choose from several encryption HP options to help them secure their HP laptops and HP files, including HP Drive Lock and HP Sure Start.

15. Backup Your HP Laptop

Backing up your HP laptop is an important part of protecting your data because it allows you to create a copy of all your important files in case something happens to your original HP data. 

The best way to backup an HP device is to save copies of all your documents, pictures, and saved games onto another removable storage device such as an external hard drive or thismemorystick. In addition, we recommend backing up any word processing documents that may contain confidential information such as financial records or business accounts using specialized HP cloud backup services or a HP backup drive. 

HP owners should never rely on HP software backups alone because HP laptops are only equipped with HP repair tools that require your HP laptop to be working properly in order to activate them.

16. Set Up HP Data Retention Policies

HP data retention policies allow you to set how long HP retains information about programs run on an HP device, sites visited while using HP web browsers and files saved onto HP devices within the My Documents directory. 

The advantage of using these features is that it enables you to erase any evidence of how you were able use or access your HP laptop after getting rid of it so potential thieves won’t have any clues as to what they can find on your HP laptop if they purchase it from a private party, for example. 

HP data deletion policies can be set to run daily and will remove HP files and HP software settings after a specific number of days.

17. HP Privacy Settings

HP privacy settings can be used by HP owners to control how HP websites and software applications to access, use and share information about an HP device and its owner. Software and website designers recommend using HP privacy settings to customize your level of online security because this will allow you to make the most out of HP features such as multi-factor authentication.

18. Never Use the Same HP Password

Owners should never use the same HP password on more than one HP account because this increases their risk of HP data loss in case someone gains access to HP laptop by using your HP password. 

HP laptop owners who work in fast-paced environments are especially prone to losing HP data if they have too many HP accounts with similar passwords that are being shared among multiple people, for example. 

A way to avoid these types of problems is to use a dedicated HP password manager program to create unique passwords for all your HP accounts and usernames so you won’t have any trouble remembering them in the future.

The Best Way to Protect Your HP Laptop is with an Antivirus Program

Installing an antivirus program alongside a firewall will provide you with protection against viruses, malware, ransomware, and HP data theft because it will scan HP laptop files and HP laptop memory for malicious content before any damage is done. 

According to a Security Intelligence Report by Microsoft, about 24% of PCs are unprotected, which leaves them more than 5x more likely to get a virus. Protect your HP laptop by taking the proper security measures beforehand.

Several free and paid HP antivirus programs available online such as Panda Cloud Antivirus, Malwarebytes, and Norton Security, that provide you with round-the-clock protection for your HP laptop against viruses, spyware, and other types of malware. You should also make sure to keep your HP software updated at all times, especially after installing a new update from the HP website because it may contain important security patches for known HP vulnerabilities.

HP laptops have been widely used by many people worldwide. Like other computer brands, HP laptops are not invincible to viruses and malware, or hacking attempts by cybercriminals. Here are some tips that would help HP laptop owners protect HP devices from viruses and other cyber attacks.

**Onlinecloudsecurity.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising revenues by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate we earn affiliate commissions from qualifying purchases.**

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About Online Cloud Security:

Online Cloud Security is here to recommend you the most secure devices, from laptops to smartphones, we only want to provide you with products that we have tested and used ourselves for online security. Every product that we recommend is heavily inspected and tested for security against hackers, viruses, malware, and any other intruders that may want to steal your information. 

Recent Posts:

Online Cloud Security Logo (500x500px)

About Online Cloud Security

Online Cloud Security is here to recommend you the most secure devices, from laptops to smartphones, we only want to provide you with products that we have tested and used ourselves for online security. Every product that we recommend is heavily inspected and tested for security against hackers, viruses, malware, and any other intruders that may want to steal your information. 

Recent Posts: