How to Check If Your Computer Is Safe
It is extremely important to take the security of your computer seriously, especially if you are keeping sensitive information on it or using it to manage your finances. While the Windows manufacturer Microsoft has taken a fair bit of measures to keep the computer safe, it still comes down to the vigilance of the user to keep the system safe and secure. Even if the system has an antivirus programme installed on it, the user still needs to regularly check the status of the programme to ensure that it is updated and functioning properly.
Instructions
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1
Make sure that all the recommended settings are enabled in “Windows Security Center.” If the status is green, then it indicates that all the settings are set as recommended by Microsoft and therefore your computer is vulnerable. However, if the colour of the “Windows Security Center” has turned either orange or red, the settings have been changed and set to something that is not in the best interest of the computer. In order to keep your computer protected at all times, always ensure that the status of “Windows Security Center” is green.
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2
Check the status of the antivirus installed on your system. Check its subscription status and also make sure that it has the latest virus definitions. While the “Windows Security Center” will check if there is an antivirus programme installed and running on your system, it cannot check the status of subscriptions and if the latest virus definitions have been downloaded. However, if you have installed “Microsoft Security Essentials” on your system, then you may be able to view additional details in the “Windows Security Center.”
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3
Check if you are able to manually download Windows Updates. The “Windows Security Center” may display a false message indicating that everything is alright even if you unable to use the auto-updates feature or if your system has been infected by malware that is preventing it from working properly. However, the problem can be confirmed easily by running the update scan manually, which will fail and consequently display an error message in case of a problem with the computer.
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4
In case you use a wireless router at home, make sure the connection is secure. If not, secure it with a password in order to prevent any unauthorised access to your network. Not only will it prevent your neighbours from enjoying free Internet, it will also prevent your network and thus computer to get infected by the viruses present on their systems.
