The most important thing to protect your computers, mobile devices and data from hackers is using secure pc software. Hackers (also known as cybercriminals) are able to hack into your device or computer for a variety of reasons, such as taking, altering, and deleting information you value. Hackers have malicious motives unlike other thieves who utilize stolen items to fulfill legitimate needs. They are more interested in unauthorized access to your sensitive information, usually before you realize that something is wrong.
Passwords, a virus protection program and a firewall are the three primary steps to secure your PC software. If you follow these basic best practices, your computer will be less likely to be hacked by malware, hackers or ransomware (software that encrypts your information and requires payment to unlock it).
Change the name of the administrator account. Choose a strong password that contains lower- and uppercase letters, numbers and computer symbols. Avoid using a short password like 1234, as hackers are able to use automated tools to break easy-to-guess passwords in minutes.
Update your operating system and other programs. The majority of software updates include security fixes that help protect against hackers. Install all patches and enable automatic updates as they become available to minimize the window of time you’re vulnerable to intrusions.
If you own a laptop, or any other portable device that is not being used, make sure the drive is secured. This is especially crucial for UF students. You can enable encryption in Windows by opening Settings > Update & security > Device encryption. This will encrypt the entire internal drive as well as the majority of external drives such SD cards.