Since the inception of the internet, hackers and cyber attacks have always been a natural byproduct. The problem is, hackers of today are far more sophisticated and equipped with a much greater arsenal of tactics. 

Remember the early days of peer-to-peer file sharing? Where you had to hold with bated breath that the latest top 40 hit you just downloaded didn’t come with a virus? 

Luckily, despite the ongoing threat of cybercrime, there are now ways you can effectively prevent a cyber attack from occurring. Anti-virus software and improved infrastructure makes today’s PCs more better equipped at preventing cyber attacks. 

In order to protect your personal information and your business, its best to bring together a combination of strategies that will act as a fortress against hackers and cyber criminals.

Here are some of the best ways to do that. 

Keeping your software and operating system up-to-date ensures that your PC has all the latest security patches. 

Cybercriminals frequently use known exploits in your system to gain access to your stored files and information. By keeping your PC updated, you make it less likely for a cyber attack to occur.

To check if your system is up to date, you can access your Control Panel and, under Windows Update, click Check for Updates. To make it easier, turn on Automatic Updates here possible. The same can also apply to your mobile phone. 

One of the best ways to prevent cyber crime from occurring is by creating strong passwords. 

It’s recommended that you do not use the same password for all your log-ins. In order to keep your information safe, you must regularly change your passwords and ensure that each one is unique and hard to crack.

For this reason, you can use a password manager program to help you to create and to remember strong, complex passwords. These programs are stored in an encrypted database and allows you to store, generate, and manage all your passwords on all your devices. 

If you’re concerned about security while online (and you should be), a VPN fulfills a number of tasks with one program.

Firstly, a VPN will totally encrypt any data that you send online. Above and beyond the below protections, with a VPN you get a full encryption service built-in – which is something we should all have when using the internet, but many of us do not.

A VPN will make it hard for hackers - or any internet user - to spy on you. For this reason, it’s a good idea to use a VPN when you’re in a public place such as a café, hotel, or airport. 

Yes, the Nigerian Prince is still around and still hoping to leave his fortune to you. 

This might come as a surprise, but the spam email still remains one of the most common forms of cyber attacks. In fact, email phishing attacks account for 92% of malware/viruses and 32% of successful data breaches. 

If you notice a suspicious email, don’t recognise the sender, or if the email address and subject matter sounds off to you, do not open. Similarly, if you receive an email with a clickable link or attachments, avoid letting curiosity get the best of you and delete the email. Most antivirus programs or mail service providers supply a spam filter to instantly delete or filter out suspicious emails. 

Finally, one of the most easiest methods to preventing cyber attacks is by installing and running antivirus software.

Of course, any protection is better than none. So while your pre-loaded Windows Defender might not include advanced security features, it still provides adequate protection where needed. 

While you can’t predict a cybercrime attack, you can prevent it. Implementing a combination of defense tactics will strengthen your cyber security and make you less vulnerable to things like identity theft, financial loss, data breaches, and stolen information. Being informed and aware is one of the most effective means of staying protected and helping others keep protected, too. Fighting cybercrime should be a part of both your personal and professional IT plan as cyber attacks become more widespread and prevalent.