Everything we need to do in our daily lives can be done online these days. From paying bills to do our shopping, the internet provides us with the convenience to get on with everything else we need to do. However, if we aren’t thinking about our online safety and security, we could be opening ourselves up to having our identities stolen.

Here are four ways to keep your computer safe.

1. Make sure you update your operating system

When operating systems are released, they are the best piece of software that the programmers and developers could produce at that particular time. However, over time, certain vulnerabilities and security flaws are uncovered, which means your system could be suffering without you even knowing it. Security patches are released all the time, and the best way to get on top of that is to update your system frequently. You can even turn these updates on automatically so that you don’t even have to worry about it. Either way, these updates will protect you from the latest security threats.

2. Clean up your hard drive

When you first buy your computer, everything is shiny and new and it will run pretty well. However, over time, the web pages you browse and the software you install will start to make your system run slower. You may inadvertently install malware or even a virus on your computer without even knowing it, so it would be a good idea for you to clean up your hard drive by uninstalling unwanted programs every now and then taking care to only download software from trusted sources.

3. Run anti-virus software

You may have heard of the huge virus and ransomware issues that have crossed the world in recent years, such as WannaCry. These programs are designed to work quickly and cause the most catastrophic damage, that that you are forced to pay up to get your computer back under your control. You need to be on top of your anti-virus software so that you can prevent such attacks. Your smartphone is not immune either, and you can Download Android & iOS Apps that will help you keep your phone secure. The best solution to this problem is prevention, as once you are infected with a virus it is very hard to recover.

4. Install a firewall

If you are unsure that you can really get rid of a virus once you have it, or you want to be sure no one has a backdoor into your computer that you don’t know about then you should install a firewall. What this does is to stand between your computer and the internet, monitoring the connections come into and going out of your computer. If anything looks suspicious, then the firewall will automatically block or quarantine the programs that are attempting the connections, allowing you to go through them and make sure everything is alright.

Keeping your computer safe and secure is a big part of the modern digital age. Without a focus on security, you’ll find your computer suffering from a virus or a ton of malware that you can’t get on top of. Use this guide to help you diagnose and prevent issues arising from an unsecured computer.