How to Protect Your New Laptop

Last Updated on September 23, 2020

Congratulations on your brand-new laptop! Bet you’re enjoying the empty hard drive and neatly wrapped cables, not to mention the oddly nice smell of unboxing. You probably went straight to finding out its capabilities, new programs, and so on; the thing that most of us do as soon as we hit the start button.

But once you’re done exploring and familiarizing yourself with your new PC, you need to start looking for new laptop protection plans as well as some smart ways to ensure safe, long-term functioning.

If you’re wondering how to protect a new laptop or have no idea about laptop maintenance or even whether new laptops come with virus protection or not, then you’ve come to the right article. We’ll answer all these questions and more briefly and simply that anyone can easily grasp.

Now, keep reading to check out the most important things you should do to keep your new piece of technology protected and avoid having to buy another one sooner than expected.

1. Download Antivirus Programs

Whether paid or free, computer virus protection is essential!

Looking for the best antivirus programs to download might not be your favorite thing to do, but it’s the first thing you have to do after buying a new laptop. Besides, it’s easy and doesn’t take so much time at all.

Be aware that hackers are constantly evolving and coming up with sneakier ways to exploit even the most recent devices, so you need to download an antivirus program that can keep up with them.

Although most computers come with virus protection, yours might not come with one, meaning you’ll need to download one right away. And most importantly, make sure to keep it updated at all times.

2. Never Overlook Applications and Software Updates

You need to know that hackers love nothing more than loopholes found in commonly used programs, such as Java, Flash, and Adobe, as well as all operating systems and web browsers.

So to always stay one step ahead of those cybercriminals, you should always rush to download new updates for the programs that run on your computer as soon as they become available.

These updates will keep your computer safe against being exploited thanks to their latest security patches.

3. Always Backup Sensitive Data

There is no way you can keep your laptop from becoming a repository for sensitive information. However, you can just accept its inevitability and take the necessary action to limit it. To do this, you’ll have to always backup and clear sensitive information from your system regularly.

Even though we hate to admit it, chances are hackers will eventually try to crash your system sooner or later, and you certainly do not want your valuable information to be stolen or lost if it ever happens. (Better ready than sorry!)

4. Pay Close Attention to What You Download

Did you know that even the very best antivirus systems and firewalls may not protect you if you download a malicious program? Well, they are likely to fail you, and you’ll be the one to blame! That’s why you should always pay very close attention to what you download and avoid clicking on any links that seem shady.

Be careful not to download any email attachments from people you don’t know, as well as the forwarded email attachments that come from both strangers and acquaintances; there’s always a chance that people you know might have unwittingly been passing along malicious code originating from spammers.

5. Make Sure to Practice Smart Browsing

Being a smart browser means always using complex passwords for any site you log into; your passwords should never include simple words; instead, use passphrases incorporating non-alphanumeric characters.

Failing to come up with a complicated and unique password for each site you use will put you at risk of being hacked. Cybercriminals are always on the watch for any tiny door to gain access to your email, social media accounts, and online banking accounts.

Also, you should always be careful when using public Wi-Fi networks. They are insecure, and hackers use this weakness to monitor the activity of anyone who connects to them to steal any entered passwords or any other sensitive data.

We hope you and your computer stay safe.

Don’t forget to share this article with people you know so they can also keep their laptops protected, and feel free to leave a comment if you have anything to add.