Keeping my PC safe

[Countdown]

I currently have Norton AV and Malawarebytes installed on my PC. I use the PC for the usual stuff as well as connecting to my work Network (via Citrix). The Pc contains laods of personal finance stuff, family pictures, and all sorts of other stuff that I would hate to lose.

As well as taking regular backups is there any other online protection I should consider implementing?

[bitchstewie]

General tips:

• If using Windows, use Windows 10
• Use Chrome
• Use uBlock Origin or a suitable ad-blocker
• Keep automatic updates on
• Use Gmail
• Use a Password Manager
• Use 2FA on sites that support it

[xjay1337]

Nearly every single "hack" is down to user stupidity.
Eg opening a dodgy file or downloading dodgy software


So my advice is don't be an idiot and you'll be fine :-)

You'd be better off using encryption software for your personal finance stuff . You can get free software.

[grumbledoak]

xjay1337 said:

Nearly every single "hack" is down to user stupidity.
Eg opening a dodgy file or downloading dodgy software

^^^Mostly that. Make offline backups and don't click unsolicited email links or download free games.

[Mr Pointy]

bhstewie said:

General tips:

• If using Windows, use Windows 10
• Use Chrome
• Use uBlock Origin or a suitable ad-blocker
• Keep automatic updates on
• Use Gmail
• Use a Password Manager
• Use 2FA on sites that support it

I'd add use Firefox, Pivacy Badger & NoScript to that list.

[Countdown]

Thanks all

bhstewie said:

General tips:

• If using Windows, use Windows 10
• Use Chrome
• Use uBlock Origin or a suitable ad-blocker
• Keep automatic updates on
• Use Gmail
• Use a Password Manager
• Use 2FA on sites that support it

Thanks - I've got most of those. Why do I need GMail? (I use Outlook)

Mr Pointy said:

I'd add use Firefox, Pivacy Badger & NoScript to that list.

Is Firefox significantly better than Chrome? I've no idea what Privacy Badger and NoScript are so will have a google

[bitchstewie]

I wouldn't say you "need" it.

But many people still use a Freeserve or ISP provided email address with POP3 or something archaic that won't have the spam filtering or security that Gmail does.

So it's an "it depends" one, but if someone who didn't have an email address asked me which service to use, for most normal people I'd be saying Gmail with a strong password and 2FA.

[Countdown]

bhstewie said:

I wouldn't say you "need" it.

But many people still use a Freeserve or ISP provided email address with POP3 or something archaic that won't have the spam filtering or security that Gmail does..

Yep - that's what mine is (I think I've had it since 1999). Spam seems OK to be honest.

[bitchstewie]

Countdown said:

Yep - that's what mine is (I think I've had it since 1999). Spam seems OK to be honest.

Make sure you are using a very strong unique password at the very least.

Depends what the service is as to what else is possible.

[eliot]

Mr Pointy said:

bhstewie said:

General tips:

• If using Windows, use Windows 10
• Use Chrome
• Use uBlock Origin or a suitable ad-blocker
• Keep automatic updates on
• Use Gmail
• Use a Password Manager
• Use 2FA on sites that support it

I'd add use Firefox, Pivacy Badger & NoScript to that list.

All good advice - but no advice on the most important thing for photos/files - which is backing them up.

Make multiple backups onto multiple devices and keep them in separate locations.

[xjay1337]

Some corporate companies have less complicated back up procedures than are being suggested :-)

[thebraketester]

I suggest..

1x local backup
2x remote backups in 2 locations on separate continents of differing allegiance.
4x cloud back ups
2x backups in separate nuclear resistant chambers buried in secret locations
1x backup to tape and placed into a hermetic capsule on the ISS

That should just about suffice.

[silentbrown]

eliot said:

All good advice - but no advice on the most important thing for photos/files - which is backing them up.

Make multiple backups onto multiple devices and keep them in separate locations.

Honestly, stuff all that. For photos, just upload them all to Google Photos and be done with it. Google are unsurprisingly rather better at safeguarding your data than you can ever dream of being.

Plus, because you'll now have (impressively searchable) access to them on mobile devices, you're likely to actually spend more time looking at them.

[98elise]

silentbrown said:

eliot said:

All good advice - but no advice on the most important thing for photos/files - which is backing them up.

Make multiple backups onto multiple devices and keep them in separate locations.

Honestly, stuff all that. For photos, just upload them all to Google Photos and be done with it. Google are unsurprisingly rather better at safeguarding your data than you can ever dream of being.

Plus, because you'll now have (impressively searchable) access to them on mobile devices, you're likely to actually spend more time looking at them.

Agreed, and it's unlimited storage (iincluding video)

Same goes for storing documents on Google drive. You're not going to have a better back up regime than Google.

[eliot]

Given you are all taking the piss here’s what i actually do:

Master on my laptop
Backed up to my server which runs raid 1 disks
Server is backed to cloud every day
Laptop is cloned to a rotation of 4 disks every few months
Server is backed up to a separate rotation of disks every few months
Backups kept in fire safe

So on and offsite physical and cloud.

I certainly wouldn’t trust my photos to something like google alone - you need alternates.

[grumbledoak]

silentbrown said:

Honestly, stuff all that. For photos, just upload them all to Google Photos and be done with it. Google are unsurprisingly rather better at safeguarding your data than you can ever dream of being.

Plus, because you'll now have (impressively searchable) access to them on mobile devices, you're likely to actually spend more time looking at them.

Horribly confusing overlap between Google Photos and Google Drive though...
https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6156103?c...

[Mr Pointy]

Countdown said:

Mr Pointy said:

I'd add use Firefox, Pivacy Badger & NoScript to that list.

Is Firefox significantly better than Chrome? I've no idea what Privacy Badger and NoScript are so will have a google

Chrome is a Google product & their primary aim is to ensure they capture as much of your data as possible & they have no interest in encouraging the use of ad-blockers & the like. Mozilla/Firefox are much more independent.

Privacy Badger is a FF addon that blocks trackers (these attempt to track your actions, including keyboard & mouse usage) & NoScript (another addon) blocks any Javascript which is how many nasties are delivered to your PC. NoScript is a bit aggresive but after a while once you have allowed the domains you regard as safe it calms down a lot. I'd add another addon called Facebook Container which runds FB in a contained tab & stops it from sucking data from other pages you have open.

[Corso Marche]

grumbledoak said:

Horribly confusing overlap between Google Photos and Google Drive though...
https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6156103?c...

It does take a bit of time to get your head around that in the beginning, but thankfully it shouldn't impact too many people. Google Photos is really all they should concern themselves with.
Where that comes into play is if the user utilizes a local program, or a web app which doesn't have Photos or Drive integration.
Instead of browsing G Photos and then downloading the necessary photo(s) to your downloads folders and then using them, it's possible to simply import the photo using the file explorer and navigating to it's location in your synced or locally stored Drive folder.

G Photos is web based, and for photo storage, management and editing.
The Drive integration is for ease of use if your photos will be needed in other apps which don't have G Photos integration.

[ColdSyphon]

eliot said:

Given you are all taking the piss here’s what i actually do:

Master on my laptop
Backed up to my server which runs raid 1 disks
Server is backed to cloud every day
Laptop is cloned to a rotation of 4 disks every few months
Server is backed up to a separate rotation of disks every few months
Backups kept in fire safe

So on and offsite physical and cloud.

I certainly wouldn’t trust my photos to something like google alone - you need alternates.

Can I ask what products you're using to achieve all that? I did try Backblaze on my PC, but the ASDL where I am in Stockport is so poor it never actually managed to take the initial backup of my machine. Anything super important I backup to my OneDrive account at the moment.

[DoubleSix]

eliot said:

Given you are all taking the piss here’s what i actually do:

Master on my laptop
Backed up to my server which runs raid 1 disks
Server is backed to cloud every day
Laptop is cloned to a rotation of 4 disks every few months
Server is backed up to a separate rotation of disks every few months
Backups kept in fire safe

So on and offsite physical and cloud.

I certainly wouldn’t trust my photos to something like google alone - you need alternates.

“Tin foil hat to aisle three!”