Profix is a Computer Repair company and has been involved in the Computer repair & Maintenance field in and around Newry since the 1990’s. During this time a massive amount of experience has been gathered in dealing with small business and residential computer users. From this, it is clear that most people have some bad habits and make a number of common mistakes that seriously weakens their internet security. Follow these simple steps to stay secure on the internet. These are powerful tips to enhance your internet security and are not widely known.

1. Don’t ignore the Windows, Java, & flash prompts to update your software! A huge number of people tend to minimise these prompts and move on with their work. Then the next day, they do the same thing again! Don’t do this. Keep Windows and all of the other software on your computer up to date. This makes life much more difficult for malware as it wont be able to find loads of vulnerabilities to exploit in your software. Secunia do a really good online scan of your PC and will list anything needing updating. Its definitely worth a look (www.secunia.com).

2.Change your passwords regularly & make them stronger. This might sound like a chore, but it will result in a much more secure computer. Get a system up and running to scupper any hacking attempt. A password will be much stronger if you include at least one uppercase letter and one number. Consider making it even tougher by using the number ‘3′ instead of ‘e’ where it appears in your password. The word ‘easy’ would become ‘3asy’ if you were applying this simple tactic. Another advanced trick is to use a simple mnemonic to remember your new complex password. For example, ‘iLavs’ could be “I like anti virus software.”

3.Watch what you download on file sharing sites. A vast amount of viruses get spread through these sites and a lot of the time you wont know until it has already infected your computer. Not to mention that the content is more than often illegally copied!

Follow the advice as described and you will be the owner of a happier and healthier PC. As the number and strength of malware infections increases, you need to devote a bit of time monthly to take action.

For more information, visit ProFix’s site here: Computer Repair Newry. If you live in or near Newry contact ProFix for assistance with any Computer problems!