- BACK UP your files, documents, pictures, music, and anything else that you have bought or might need. Either to an external device like a hard drive or USB key or to a cloud service like Dropbox or Carbonite.
- Make sure your browser (Internet explorer, Firefox, Chrome) is up to date and that all plugins like Java and Adobe flash are up to date. The browser and plugin are the easiest route for Malware and bad things to get into your computer.
- If you cannot remember passwords or struggle to think of good secure password then use a password manager such as lastpass.com or write them down in a book and keep it in a draw. This is not a security rick at home, and gives partners a chance to access things if you are not around.
- Use an online email system such as Gmail, this means you can receive and more importantly send email from anywhere or any computer, phone, tablet etc. It also gives you an online address book and calendar which can sync with your phone and computer. Its far better than the free account orange or sfr give you.
- Remember social media is social, nothing is private not even messages or information you mark as private. Just because you didn’t share it does not mean someone else can’t, and there are many things that you don’t want the whole world to know. It might be nice to tell a friend about the holiday you are planning but do you want everyone else to know the dates you are away and house is empty.
- Your mobile phone and some cordless phone can have a different ringtone for each contact, set a specific ringtone for your wife, husband or children and you will know when they call without looking at the screen.
- Don’t use file sharing web sites or steel music or films there are plenty of legitimate service like Spotify for music or Netflix for films. Netflix comes to France this week so no excuses.
- Watch your computer carefully for new icons or toolbars that appear on the screen. If you did not install a new piece of software then there’s are very good chance and virus or Malware has crept in. Run weekly scans with Malwarebytes.
- Beware of service that allow you to watch UK TV (ie iPlayer etc), many of these services use VPN technology – this opens a two way like between you and the service operator, while you’re watching TV they could be looking through your computer.
- Never click on a link or an unsubscribe in an email unless you know the person or know that you signed up for the email in the 1st place. Clicking on a link could alert the spammer that it’s a real email address or worse download a virus or malware onto your computer. If you are unsure delete the email.