[Basics] Computer & account security [Basics]

I'll be listing some tips on how to keep your computer secured.

1. Anti-virus, firewall and Spyware / Malware-eliminating tools

Make sure your computer has somekind of an Anti-virus program installed!
Also make sure that your firewall is always on.
This keeps up the basic security build.

If you think your computer is infected by a virus, make sure to have different tools for scanning!

My personal favorites;
- Avast! (Anti-virus. For protecting the computer of attacks and for scanning.)
- Windows firewall (Basic firewall included in Windows.)
- Malwarebytes (For scanning and eliminating malicious / infected files.)
- Spybot Search & Destroy (For scanning and eliminating spyware.)

2. Passwords

Keep your passwords secured, don't tell them to anyone. (Pretty much common sense..)
Make sure that no-one will see you entering your username & password if using a public computer.
Make easy passwords for you to remember, but make them hard for others to crack. Use numbers & capitals.

3. Weekly / Monthly scanning

You definitely should scan your computer for viruses every week or every month.
It's one keylogger on your computer and that's it, your accounts will be wiped away.

4. Common sense when downloading files

Do not accept any files from people you don't know or who you claim being a bit suspicious.
It's so easy to send a virus even through a Skype-chat.
This is VERY important!

You might have seen YouTube videos about free downloads.
Not all of them are scams, but most are.
If you see a YouTube video saying "Free Photoshop download" and you notice that comments are disabled and so are ratings, it should be common sense to know that you shouldn't touch the files.
There is legit downloads, but take look around before downloading.

5. File copies

If you have important files on your computer, you should definitely copy them to memorystick or something equivalent.
If your files get wiped from your computer by a virus or by yourself as an accident, you can take the copies to use.

6. Extra information

~ Keylogger

Keyloggers are real bastards, they record everything you type with your keyboard.
More advanced keyloggers can even take screenshots etc.
Keyloggers make a log-file on your computer, which contains every single key pressed and then sends the log file to Keylogger's host by email.
Example of what the log-file could look like;

"Youtuv[backspace]be.con[backspace]m[enter]"

Example above shows what it would look like if you entered YouTube on your web-browser.

7. Ending up

Follow the steps mentioned above and you should be good.

-DH