Online security and privacy guide

Malware means malicious malware and is a term used to describe programs that are designed to do harm to computers and other online devices. Malware can be viruses, trojans, ransomware, adware, spyware, worms, and much more. The purpose of malware is to infect your computer, steal personal information, redirect you to shady websites, take your device hostage, spam you with advertisements, lock your files, and the list goes on and on

Antivirus software detects and removes malicious software from your computer before it can do any harm, thus keeping you safe even if you end up on a website infected with malware. Websites are not the only means of malware distribution, emails, SMS, social media, and chat software are also platforms used to spread malware

VPN is short for virtual private network. It gives you online privacy and anonymity by masking your real physical location and IP address, making your online activity virtually untraceable. VPN software easily lets you chose a location around the world and make it appear like you are located there instead, thus hiding your real location

Unless you use a VPN when online, people with shady intentions can see that your IP address is [userip_location type=”ip”] and that you are located in [userip_location type=”city”], [userip_location type=”country”]. They can also see that your internet service provider is [userip_location type=”isp”]. This is information that can be used to track you down. By using a VPN, all this personal info will be hidden and your online activities will remain anonymous. If this was not your real location, you are already using a VPN

Computer cleaner software empties caches for various programs, removes browsing history, clears temporary internet files, and cleans up the clutter that has been piling up in your computer registry files over time. By using a computer cleaner, you remove all traces of your online activity, and it improves your overall device performance

Driver updaters are software that keeps track of all your installed programs and associated drivers and lets you update them when new versions are available. Outdated drivers can cause your computer to experience reduced performance and even result in hardware failure. Keeping your drivers updated is a very important part when it comes to computer maintenance. If you think your device is acting strange, it might be time to check the drivers