No matter how advanced and ‘smart’ mobile phones get, you computer will always be your tech home front. And not just because of its sentimental value (the fact that before your Blackberry, iPhone, Android, and tablet, there was the stand alone home computer) but because your PC or laptop is ideal for long hours of work and study, something no phone or tablet can compete with.

Ensuring that your computer stays secure is imperative – if you can’t keep it safe from malware you’re risking a lot more than random strands of data. Unfortunately, people tend to take care of their phones but fail to do the same when it comes to computer security, and hence end up losing important data to viruses, Trojans, and spyware such as computer monitoring software and computer and internet monitoring software. Having a well-protected computer system is not as hard as one might think. Here are five simple ways to go about securing your computer from threats.

1.Use Anti-Virus Software. Trying out different versions of various Antiviruses is fine but users should remember that 30 day trials last only as long as they say they would, meaning 30 days. After that they expire and your system is open to attack once more. You need to pull out your wallet and purchase one to avoid this and also need to regularly update the anti-virus so that it does not lag behind when it comes to blocking the latest advancements in viruses.

2.Be Careful of Email. Asides spamming and annoying adware, emails are the main carriers of viruses, bugs, and PC monitoring software. Never open any email attachment that has been sent to you by anonymous persons. If someone from your contact list has sent you something via email attachment be suspicious of opening those as well. Instead, save and run all email attachments through virus checkers before opening them. If nothing comes up yet your suspicion is still aroused, do away with the file and the email and delete them.

3.Use a Firewall.  Many people forego creating a firewall for their computer thinking that installing an Antivirus is sufficient when it comes to protecting them from corruptive programs. This is obviously not the case. Firewalls are great security tools, especially when used together with good Anti-Virus programs. A firewall forms a barrier between your system and whatever lies on the other side of the internet. It is preferable to get a software firewall as well as one for your hardware.

4.Update Anything and Everything. Updates are essential to having a secure system. Whenever an update is available, it means that security flaws have been discovered in previous versions of the software and need to be patched up, with the help of particular update. Updates are available for almost all software and programs you have running on your system. You should update everything, from your browser to your multimedia player whenever the option is available to keep your system safe and running.

5.Turn Off Internet. Unnecessarily keeping your system connected to the internet is a big security no-no. Many people absent mindedly leave their Wi-Fi on and increase the chances of their system being infected by a virus or malware of some sorts.  By disconnecting, you disallow other people from breaking into your system remotely. Asides saving big chunks of your data plan (if you have one), turning off internet when not in use further secures your computer.

Author Bio:

Natalia David, an author significantly contributes towards PC security Software, cell phone tracking, iPhone and android spy. If you want to know more about Natalia you can follow her on twitter @NataliaDavid4