The security of your computer can be breached in many ways. Your computer security can be compromised by malware, spyware, unfamiliar e-mail attachments, and pot scanning. These activities open your computer to viruses, worms, Trojan horses, phishing and hacking.

Before you wave off the potential risk with a ‘it won’t happen to me’, lets present you with some facts. Some non-profit organizations such as Dshield, work with people to track port scanning violations. Hackers use port scanning to access someone’s personal information, or plant malware, through open ports in the system. Over 1.1 billion attempts of port scanning are reported by Dshield.org each month, this number strictly based on their program participants.

another tool they offer is the report of survival time, which is the estimated amount of time it takes a PC to break down after being infected. Survival time varies by operating system, but it usually ranges between 128 minutes (approximately 2 hours) and 5432 minutes (slightly under 4 days).

You can keep your computer safe from threats by following a few easy steps.

Any unfamiliar programs, especially if sent through attachments from unknown senders, should never be run.

Don’t allow unrestricted physical access to your computer – even your family members can unwittingly open programs that are viruses.

Strong passwords are suggested. Too many people use the exact same password for everything, and use their children’s or pet’s names, their birth date or anniversary. Certainly you don’t want a hacker who’s been able to crack one password to have access to everything on your computer. Make sure you don’t keep your password in a visible place, such as a post-it note near your screen.

By updating your operating system regularly, you can ensure your computer is adequately protected. Every day new viruses and worms are created and distributed. Attacks are more likely when software is not updated.

Important data should be stored away from the computer.

If properly updated, antivirus software can provide good protection for your computer.

It never hurts to be careful, since new threats surface every day. For a moment, wrap your mind around the thought of losing all information from your computer. Anything you have stored in your computer – e-mail contacts, banking information, and other personal information. With a few simple steps you can easily keep yourself and your computer safe.

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Due to some mistakes of ours, it is possible that someone hacks our password. But, as we know some hackers doesn’t change our password after hacking! They just read our Emails as a spy to steal our private data! So, how can we find out that another one is checking our Emails?

Google has provided very useful tool to do this. To understand better, first go to http://mail.google.com and Sign in there. After signing in your Gmail account, scroll down to see Last account activity and check the time. Now you can compare that time with your last signing in your Gmail account and if someone has signed in your account after your last signing in, you can change your password to don’t lose your data any more.

Sample IP with unreal numbers

You can also click on Detalis to see more information about someones who has signed in your account recently.

The Details information shows you:

• Access type (Browser, mobile , …)
• IP address (This would be useful to find who has hacked you!)
• Date/Time (That is displayed in your time zone)
• Your computer IP address that you have signed in with

So, now you can enjoy your safe Gmail account!

Related post(s):

• 10 hot tips for working by Emails (for beginner-intermediate users)
• A security about Email accounts to avoid getting hacked your account(s)

1) Check your Emails just in trusted places

• If it is possible, never check your Email in public places such as internet saloons, offices, colleges, and so on Because it is possible that another one looks at your keyboard to discover your password!
• If you want to check your Email in public places, be careful about password remember check box and always leave it unchecked. Just as like as the pictures below (Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo are some services that provide a password remember):
• Be careful! Mirrors are able to tell your private data to others! So, check the mirrors positions around you.
  Note: Many people have lost their private data because of mirrors and other glossy objects like pots!

2) Have two types of Emails

• If it’s possible, have two types of Emails, once as a formal address and another one as an informal address. Make your formal ID using your real name and family name and make your informal Email using your unreal name and family name.
• It is a good idea to have two types of Emails for different goals. For example if you are a teacher, you can give your formal Email to your students, schools, collages, universities and so forth. You can also give your informal Email to web sites that you want to join there, or use it to leave a feedback in web pages, which your Email is needed for leaving feedback there.
• When you give your informal Email address to others, they can not find your name and surname in your Email address (like: flower2000@gmail.com) and when you give your formal address to others, they will be able to see your real name and surname in your Email address (like: patrick.anderson@gmail.com)

3) Have the best settings for your account

• If your Email service lets you; try to have a secondary Email.
• Feel sure that you are using a security question. Read more here.
• As you know when you insert your name and surname, after sending an Email to someone, he or she will be able to see your name and surname that you have written them in your account settings. So, to apply the tip number 2, write a virtual name and family name as your informal Email account and your real name and family name as your formal one.
• Use strong passwords. It is recommend to have a long password that contains digits and letters. For example: 1password2loging, stay4updating2posts, jack2546school215, and so forth.

4) Do not let your browser to save your passwords

• When you save your passwords on your browser, others can find them in your browser. For example if you are working on Firefox, you can see all of saved passwords on your browser after following these steps:
  • Tools -> Options -> Security
  • Click on Saved password and then click on show passwords. Yeah! You can see all of them! In addition, others can see them when you are not at your desk!

5) Don’t give your Email to all

• Don’t give your Email to all and just register your real Email where is necessary.
• It is recommend to avoid giving your Email to all. If you give your Email to all, you should wait to see too many Emails in your inbox as spam! For example may you have more than 250 daily Email!
• If you want to leave a comment on a web page and your Email is needed to do so ( but you do not like to give them your Email), you can give them some unreal addresses like these ones: a@b.com, abc@def.com, a1@b2.com and so forth.

6) Don’t attention to unknown Emails

• When you receive an unknown Email, you do not know that who has sent it. In addition, this may makes you worry. But the best solution is this: IGNORE THEM!
• The most common purposes of these types of Emails are advertising and collecting personal information. In fact, some of them are some unwanted advertisement for web sites and the other ones request you to reply your personal information.
• Therefore, never reply these types of Emails.

7) Do not give your password to your friends

• Maybe you want to give your password to your trusted friend. As you know, he or she is trusted. But can your friend keep your password safe?

Identify spam Emails and report them

• Let your Email service to know spam Emails. This would help your service to know them and do not send them to other account’s inboxes. You can report them after following these steps:
  • Gmail: Select Email(s) -> Click on Report Spam button
  • Yahoo account: Select Email(s) -> Click on Spam button

9) Compress your attachments before sending

• Compressing attachments, makes you able to send your Emails faster and your friends can download sent attachment faster.

10) Click on Sign out/Log out button before exiting your account

• If you do not do it and just close your browser window, it is possible for others to open the same browser and read your Emails.

Related post(s):

• A security tip about Email accounts to avoid getting hacked your account(s)!
• A hot security tip for Gmail accounts