Protect Your PC
The cyberattack that's big in the news now is not to be taken nonchalantly. If you fall victim, your files are essentially locked and you are extorted to pay money to regain access to your data. But, guess what? Even if you pay, there's no guarantee you get your information back. So, don't get into that situation.
Be proactive now.
Have antivirus software (there are many available) loaded on your machine and make sure it is up to date. Windows Defender Antivirus comes with Microsoft Windows. The first thing I do on my computer is update it manually. I click on Update definitions.
Before I do banking or purchasing online, I run Malware Bytes https://www.malwarebytes.com/ It's a free download.
DO NOT click on links in your email if they look suspicious even if they seem to be coming from one of your contacts.
Websites can be affected by viruses. There are tools you can add to your web browsers to help guard against getting infected. Web of Trust and McAfee WebAdvisor are free downloads. Click on their pictures below and they will open in new windows. Install both because one doesn't catch everything.
Make sure your operating systems are up to date. If you have a PC, Microsoft periodically sends updates to fix problems and security. You can manually check by going into your settings and click Check for Updates. This picture shows Windows 10, if you have earlier versions of Windows, you can still check for updates in the settings on your machine or go to Microsoft.
NEVER give anyone unknown and not trusted your user names and passwords no matter who they claim to be. DO NOT believe callers telling you your home computer notified them it has a virus. Your computer does not do that.
Back up your important data. There are many options to save securely off your PC. Google Drive is one. Every Google account gets 15 gigabytes of free storage. I save my books there as well as on my computer.
Make it a priority to understand how to be protected. Do your best to safeguard your precious information in this ever changing age of technology.
Happy Writing :->
