Computer Security Made Easy

Identify seven major attack types that may affect your computer—viruses, spyware, ransomware, malware, wi-fi security, phishing, and road apples.

Understand how computer viruses infiltrate, attach to files, and cause data loss. Identify macro, ram-resident, fat, encryption-based, email, worm, and trojan viruses and how antivirus defenses respond.

Explore how spyware quietly infects computers, spies on your browsing history, and sends data to hackers. Learn to scan for and remove adware and unwanted pop-ups.

Ransomware is a new and nasty malware that encrypts your hard drive, making files unreadable and blocking work. It displays a ransom message and asks for payment to restore access.

Define malware as malicious software, any program bent on harming your computer data or you. Explain that the term malware encompasses various types and acts as a general aggregate.

Explore how free wifi networks enable attackers to intercept your communications and carry out replay attacks, stealing credentials and money, and learn to counter these threats to protect your devices.

Phishing and spear phishing exploit trust via emails and calls, from bank scams to rogue web pages, prompting users to reveal confidential information and install malware.

Explore road apple attacks, where a flash drive bearing your company logo harbors malware that infects your computer and network, and learn how to respond through training.

Understand how to protect your computer from threats by installing the essential software you need to keep it secure.

Explore how antivirus programs detect and quarantine viruses and malware, including spyware, and why updates and trusted brands like Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky matter.

Understand how a firewall stops rogue malware and alerts you when data is sent, and note Windows built-in protection and bundled firewall options.

Explore spam, what it is, how filters catch it and quarantine it, and how online versus local email differ with providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo.

Learn how unified security software packages integrate antivirus, firewall, and more in a single suite, illustrated by Norton 360, and explore scans, identity protection, backups, and performance optimization.

Password managers securely store all your passwords in an encrypted vault, protected by a master password, generate complex passwords, and autofill them across services.

A private vpn creates a secure tunnel with encryption to protect your internet activity on public wifi, via paid subscription services.

Develop security awareness by identifying common threats, avoiding phishing links, recognizing malware and spyware scams, guarding against evil twin wifi, and reporting suspicious social network activity.

Explore physical security for your computer and learn practical methods and devices to prevent loss and aid recovery after theft or misplacement.

Learn how a cable lock uses woven carbon steel and a combination or key mechanism to secure a laptop by its frame and port, deterring theft.

Set up a BIOS password to prevent startup access and protect data, and learn about password complexity, dictionary attacks, and the roles of prevention and recovery.

Encrypt data by transforming it into unreadable code without a decryption key, and BitLocker encrypts the whole drive, with a padlock icon signaling protection in Windows Explorer.

Explore theft recovery software that tracks location, remotely logs activity, shows the thief's face, and deletes data, with recovery options like Lojack for laptops and Laptop Cup.

Explore how fingerprints offer a login harder to steal than passwords. Configure fingerprint readers on your computer or add an affordable external reader priced from $40 to $100.

Protect your data on flash drives by using hardware encrypted drives or software encryption tools like Rohos mini drive, creating a secure encrypted partition with a strong password.

Identify malware symptoms and run basic diagnostics. Remove infections and prepare for next attack to quickly restore your computer.

Identify malware infection symptoms such as slower performance, pop-ups, browser redirects, and unfamiliar toolbars or programs, then run a basic diagnostic to verify what is happening.

Explore Windows Task Manager as a basic diagnostic tool, review the performance tab for cpu usage, identify background processes by image name, and end suspicious processes to remove malware.

Malware can restart through the startup folder; open it with Windows key + R, type shell:startup, inspect for suspicious items, delete them, and restore from the recycle bin if needed.

Learn to use the msconfig utility to view startup programs and reveal items that hide from the startup folder. Identify suspicious software and disable it, then restart if prompted.

Download, install, and run Malwarebytes to scan for threats, quarantine and remove malware, and enable ransomware protection and real-time monitoring for secure computing.

Explore how cloud scanning and removal tools detect hidden malware, using Panda Cloud Cleaner and online scanners like Eset and F-Secure to scan, report, and clean infections.

Learn how to back up and restore your Windows system to recover quickly from malware infections, using whole computer backups or system images stored on external drives or online storage.

Explore alternative backup solutions with Acronis True Image, showcasing encryption, online cloud storage, and feature-rich backup management beyond Windows backup and restore.

Learn how physical computer failure can be as damaging as malware, identify causes like heat, cold, water, power spikes, and brownouts, and explore repair services and steps to minimize damage.

Evaluate the manufacturer warranty by assessing duration, coverage, and exclusions such as negligence and consumables like batteries to decide whether to keep or replace a computer as technology evolves.

Learn how extended warranties extend the manufacturer’s coverage, when they may start at purchase, and how negligence is often excluded, with third-party repair options and subscription plans.

Explore how third-party repair services diagnose, repair, and replace hardware, perform malware removal, provide remote or on-site support, and offer upfront pricing and optional subscription plans.

Learn how data restoration services recover deleted files from computers and removable media like flash drives using free and paid tools, with restoration costing thousands of dollars and not guaranteed.

Master practical backup strategies for physical computer failure, including external disk, system image, software inventories, activation codes, and recovery partitions to restore or migrate to a new device.

Explore practical steps in computer security made easy to protect your computer from online and offline threats, with reference materials and a newsletter to stay ahead of the latest scams.