You’ve probably heard the terms virus, ransomware, and trojans and have a faint idea of what these are— computer security threats. But did you know that all these threats all fall under the umbrella term “malware”? This article discusses the basics of malware and how you can secure your computer malware mac against it.
Understanding Malware
Malware, short for malicious software, is one of the biggest threats in the modern digital world. It has been used in some of the world’s biggest cyberattacks including the 2017 WannaCry attack which affected over 200,000 victims across 150 countries.
In general, malware is installed on a computer when you click on a link, open a rogue software program, or download a malicious attachment. Once installed, cybercriminals can use the malware to spy on your online activities, use your device to hack other systems or steal financial and personal information.
This form of attack has become quite profitable to cybercriminals and is becoming more sophisticated using old and new techniques to cause maximum damage.
5 Tips To Safeguard Your Computer Against Malware Mac
To secure your computer and prevent malware from infecting it, here are some steps you need to take.
1. Invest in a Good Antivirus Software
Antivirus software is your first line of defense. Antivirus software helps protect your computer from malware by scanning, detecting, and cleaning your devices of malware and other cybersecurity threats.
Reliable antivirus software works in your computer’s background, constantly monitoring any malicious activities or files that may find themselves in your device. Also, it will provide automatic updates to ensure enhanced protection against newly created malware.
That said, you don’t want to run multiple antivirus apps at the same time. This can cause your computer to be unstable or slow.
2. Use Secure Networks
Due to the advancement of wireless technology, your personal data is constantly being sent over to public networks. The problem is public networks are not always protected as well as you think.
Your computer is often connected to the internet and other devices like printers or smart speakers. Cybercriminals love to prey on unprotected network traffics.
Start at your home. You want to keep your home network protected by using a strong password for your wireless router. You can also strengthen your Wi-Fi encryption and keep your router firmware updated.
If you’re outside, never use public Wi-Fi without browser protection. You should also use a virtual private network or VPN with strong encryption to hide your online activities. You can also install or enable your computer’s firewall that protects the devices connected to your network from cybercriminals lurking on the internet.
3. Use Browser Common Sense
Although the internet is a convenient and useful tool in today’s modern world, it is also filled with security risks. In fact, statistics show that over 18 million websites are infected with malware.
So, you must know how to protect yourself and use browser common sense.
Make sure to avoid any websites that feature pirated material, including torrent sites such as The Pirate Bay. These kinds of websites are loaded with malware mac regardless of what other people say.
You need to check if the website has an SSL certificate before browsing. You can verify this by checking for the secured lock icon to the left of the web address or URL.
Also, you should never open an email attachment from an unknown sender. This could be a part of a phishing scam. Most viruses are attached to email messages and can easily spread to your computer as soon as you open the attachment.
Make sure to scan every file that you downloaded, even if the file is sent to you by your friends or family. A useful trick is to hover the mouse over the link to have a general idea of where it will take you before clicking it.
4. Keep Your Operating System and Computer Programs Updated
Most computers will notify you of any available updates for your operating system and programs. Unfortunately, most people are guilty of clicking on the “Not now” or “X” button when these notifications show up.
However, keeping your computer device and its installed programs and software updated, help secure it from malware mac attacks that may exploit the vulnerabilities on your system. If you continue using an older OS and ignore constant requests to upgrade to a newer version, your computer will be less protected and at risk of being infected with newer and more sophisticated malware.
This is particularly important for your computer’s operating system and antivirus software. Software vendors are always providing new patches to fix vulnerabilities and gaps in their security.
5. Do Regular Backups
If even after careful computer use, you get infected with malware or your data hacked by criminals, you can reduce the damage with a backup of your files and data.
Regular backups help protect you from data loss for a variety of reasons including hacking, hard drive failure, or even natural disaster.
In general, you have two options for computer backups.
One, you can buy an external hard drive and back up the contents of your computer into it. Your initial backup will take several hours to complete. After that, you can do regular follow-up backups.
The next option is to use online backup services. You can find free cloud storage options available like Google Drive or Box. These services can automatically back up your files in the cloud and recover them from any computer or device with an internet connection.
Free services, however, have limited storage. So, if you need to back up large amounts of data and files, then you will need to opt for their paid storage.
FAQ’s
What are the types of malware?
The most common types of malware include viruses, trojans, worms, ransomware, spyware, botnet, and adware.
What are the best antimalware software brands available?
The best antimalware solutions you can find are Norton, Kaspersky, Bitfender, ESET, Trend Micro, McAfee, Malwarebytes, and Sophos.
Conclusion
That’s it!
Malware is an extremely prevalent computer security risk. And yet, it’s not impossible to avoid in your malware mac. With the above preventive measures, you should be able to protect your computer and data against malicious software and cybercriminals.