CYBER SECURITY

2. Protecting your computer: internet firewall, antivirus

The main technological threats are viruses, unwanted and malicious software, and computer intrusion. Think of a virus as an uninvited neighbour that enters your home (i.e. your computer) and starts to interfere with its operation by "infecting" other applications. These viruses can come from a variety of sources: they may start out as innocent emails or app downloads, but then become real problems that can slow down your computer, destroy important files or even steal your personal information.

The International Cyber Security Company's video on cyber security provides a good illustration of the threats we can face when surfing the internet and the tools we can use to protect ourselves from them.

Source: kaspersky.com/blog

Protections against these threats include keeping antivirus software up-to-date, deliberately downloading and installing software, keeping it up-to-date, removing unnecessary applications, and using an internet firewall. An antivirus programme is your computer's bodyguard, always on the lookout for potential threats. It's like a policeman who is constantly checking the information that comes into your computer, looking for signs that something is not quite as it should be. When it finds a threat, it (the antivirus) decontaminates it and prevents any possible breaches. Read more about protecting your computer in this section.