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By Online Cloud Security | Last Updated on September 18, 2021
Why is it Important to Keep your Laptop Secure?
From being lightweight to fast in speed, laptops comprise all the qualities we want in our everyday working gear. With new viruses and malware popping up, in fact according to a study by DataProt, there are more 560,000 instances of malware being created and detected every single day.
To prevent identity theft, it is essential to have a strong security antivirus system and a good method of keeping your laptop secure for good, which still begs the question, why is it important to keep your laptop secure even with all the he new default defense systems that are installed in new Windows and macOS laptops?
Stick to the end to learn why it is necessary to take additional steps to keep your laptop secure and how you can do it:
Over the years, as security systems for operating systems like Windows and macOS have become much more advanced, you would think that these improvements would prevent hackers from stealing your information, but this isn’t always the case.
Hackers around the world are also improving as well, sometimes at a much faster pace than some anti-virus and operating systems for computers and laptops. Since every system has some form of vulnerability, whether if it’s Windows 10 or macOS.
One reason why many laptops get hacked is a poor combination of passwords. Most people use their names with a few numbers or their birth dates as their passwords. Since we can easily get an idea of a person’s name by looking at the username, the passwords can be usually easy to break (by a hacker of course).
Laptops that are regularly connected to outside Wi-Fi networks in restaurants or coffee shops are also generally easier to hack because this can leave your laptop vulnerable to hackers in the same network. When such laptops are connected to any outside Wi-Fi networks like that of a hotel or a café, it becomes easier to access the data.
By making the security system of your laptop stronger and taking the proper security measures, you can protect the data on your laptop. Using some physical protection tools and other prevention measures in this guide, you can reduce the risk of your laptop getting hacked to a good extent.
Governments and businesses are prone to insider threats since it is very difficult to identify whether the worker is trying to gain access to the confidential data or they are using it legitimately. People are insider threats in businesses; they can be contractors, employees, or former employees.
While the data has been exfiltrated for personal gain in most cases, an employee may also leak it accidentally. By monitoring your employees’ accounts closely and regularly checking for unusual behavior, you can prevent insider threats to a good extent.
By having an eye on your employees’ accounts, you only make limited data accessible to your employees. In this way, even if an attacker gains access to your employee’s account information, he will not be able to reach the sensitive corners.
Employees can be a real threat to your company if you don’t install monitoring systems onto the laptops you may provide to them. Also, do your diligence when hiring employees and make sure that for every laptop you provide to your employees, that they have the proper anti-virus and monitoring software installed.
External hard drives and flash drives are some of the sources that may carry viruses to your laptop. The attackers, who try to gain access to your data, usually make an attempt.
External devices like USB can also damage your laptop by bringing viruses. If you are unsure about the source of the USB, it is better not to use it. Criminals try to harm your device with malware by USB, which contains malicious code. When you plug such a USB into your laptop, the malware harms your device.
For prevention, make sure to plug external device only when you are sure that it came from a reliable source.
Mobile phones and laptops are at a much higher risk of getting stolen than any other device. Since these devices are compact and are carried out everywhere, people forget them at unusual places from where they get stolen. A large number of people lose their laptops every day. In fact, according to PkWare, it has been found that a laptop is stolen every 53 seconds.
However, most laptop theft crimes are not planned. Rather, they are crimes of opportunity at places like crowded trains and cafes. You can use several security methods to protect your data and can even physically improve the security of your laptop by simply keeping it close to you at all times.
By investing in some useful security tools, you can protect your laptop. Adhere to the following tips to keep your laptop protected.
The best way to keep your laptop secure is to keep it updated. Microsoft regularly provides updates for Windows. These updates are the best way to remove bugs and secure your laptop as they have built-in antivirus. This is why; separate antiviruses are almost useless nowadays.
Even if you have an older laptop, it is likely that the operating system is lacking a bit in terms of security. Look for system updates in the control panel; if there is any, update it right away. These sorts of updates appear on laptops time by time to provide the latest and updated version of the software, including updated security.
In addition, it is a good idea to turn on the “auto-updates” option on your laptop as it keeps your data secure and keeps you safe from security vulnerabilities. You do not have to put so much effort into updating the system. Regular system updates should clear out most bugs.
For average users, it is not possible to detect if criminals are trying to invade their devices. To prevent yourself from any mishap, you should be careful enough not to click on every random attachment and link. Clicking on such links increases the risk of malware.
Other times, these URLs take you to websites that may look legitimate but are fake. People enter their information like bank account details and passwords on such websites, and thus, the criminals use such data for malicious activities.
Malware can also come to your device when downloading materials from unauthorized sources. This may not always be true, but attackers do use this method for gaining access to sensitive information. Double-check the website from which you are downloading books, movies, and songs.
Malware can also come to your device when downloading materials from unauthorized sources. This may not always be true, but attackers do use this method for gaining access to sensitive information. Double-check the website from which you are downloading books, movies, and songs.
When checking your email, make sure to check WHO the email is sent from.
If you often use your laptop in public, you should be aware of shoulder surfing attacks. People around you look at your screen, whether you are in a coffee shop or in the subway. This way, they can easily gather your personal information and may use it against you.
A privacy screen is the best option if you want to protect yourself from shoulder surfing attacks. A privacy screen is made of very thin plastic that is to be pasted on the display panel. This way, only you can get a clear picture of what is appearing on the screen and keep the viewing angle restricted. Other than that, it also protects your eyes as it reduces exposure to blue light.
If you want your laptop to be fully secure from nosy hackers, you need to cover your webcam as much as possible. Usually, when the webcam is open, LED is always on. However, technology made them capable of turning on the camera without actually turning on the LED.
To protect yourself from being spied on, you can add a webcam cover. You can easily find one in the market. This cover can be removed when needed, and you can put it on again when you are not using the webcam.
To enable this feature, go to “Settings & Update” and Security then “Find my device“. Enable this feature to protect your laptop. You can remotely lock your laptop so that it cannot be opened without the password by logging into your Microsoft account.
In case of theft, the ‘find my device’ feature will be really helpful to you. It is recommended to enable this option on your laptop. This way, you can track your laptop and remove some of your personal information from the device so that it does not get in the wrong hands.
Hacking, theft, and insider threat are the most common risks to laptops. However, with a strong security system, you can reduce the risk of your data getting hacked. Apart from enabling location, keeping the laptop updated, and using physical tools for protection, take care of your laptop wherever you go.
Do not even leave your laptop in your car or office table when you are not there. Laptop locks are a thing that is great at preventing theft. Right security methods can go a long way in keeping your laptop safe.
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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.
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.
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