The bulk of the blame for this one is with your computer maker. © Bill Varie / Photolibrary / Getty ImagesĪ remarkably easy way for a computer to be set up for failures is to install, or leave already-installed, junk software on it, the worst of which is the kind that runs in the background all the time. It's like a skeleton key to all your account passwords, and it's the perfect solution to strong passwords that you'll never forget. All you need to do is remember a single password for the manager itself. They let you store hard-to-remember passwords to all of your accounts in one place. So what's the answer here? Maybe you've heard of password managers. If they don't meet that "strong" criteria, there are tips in that article to help you make something better. See what makes a password weak or strong if you're not quite sure how great, or not-so-great, your passwords are. This is a hard tip to adopt because sticking with an easy password means you won't forget it, but it also means it's easier to guess/crack. It's remarkably easy to pick something simple so that you remember it, but simple isn't the best practice when it comes to account security. What can't be said is that we all use good passwords. Most of the devices and services we use require that we do. If your Microsoft Office software, iPad apps, Adobe programs, etc., ever ask you to update, consider it a requirement. Other software and app updates are important, too, and for similar reasons. However you're notified about the update, promptly apply it. It's the exact same situation with your Mac or Linux computer, your tablet, and your smartphone.just different details. If you're not a fan of Microsoft automatically doing things on your computer, you can change Windows update settings yourself. Fortunately, Windows can install them for you automatically. Microsoft's part of this process takes long enough, so one of the worst things you can slip up on is avoiding these fixes once they're provided. Once these vulnerabilities in Windows have been discovered, a patch has to be created by the developer (Microsoft) and then installed (by you) on your computer, all before the bad guys figure out how to exploit said vulnerability and start doing damage. One worst-case scenario of avoiding these is that you could inadvertently provide someone remote access to your computer! The majority of software patches these days, especially the ones Microsoft pushes for Windows, correct "security" issues. Similar to antivirus software needing updates, so too does your operating system. If you think you might be running your computer with a significantly outdated antivirus program, learn how to scan for malware for help making sure nothing slipped in while your computer's defenses were down. Your antivirus program runs at all times in the background to keep your files safe, but it can't do its best job if you don't let it. These "out of date" alerts are easy to avoid, but try your best to address them. Most antivirus programs, even some of the free ones ( there are lots to choose from), automatically update their virus definitions, the term used to describe the set of instructions the programs use to identify and remove malware. As unfortunate as that is, there's great news: you just need to keep it updated. In other words, your antivirus software only worked 100% the day you installed it. In response, antivirus software has to respond just as quickly. Those nefarious malware authors out there make new viruses every day, change how they work, and find new ways of avoiding antivirus software. © Steven Puetzer / The Image Bank / Getty Images
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