A series of risks can lead to data loss. These risks can be minimised, if you observe a few simple rules.
Use antivirus and firewall software and ensure that the virus protection software carries out updates automatically and with the shortest possible intervals.
Moreover, the system should be subject to a complete scan at regular intervals.
Ensure the operating system and the installed application software is kept updated to its latest version. A large proportion of attacks are only successful because known security loopholes in old software are used.
For each software application that connects to the Internet, you should make yourself familiar with the relevant security settings. The standard settings are not always the best selection. Try to find a compromise between security and operability.
Use secure passwords to protect your user accounts. The encryption of important data ensures that, even if an attacker successfully steals your data, he can do nothing with it. G DATA NotebookSecurity's datasafe enables the installation of a virtual disk drive, in which all data is stored in encrypted format.
Make sure you make active use of the user account administration in your operating system. You do not need to use an account with administrator rights for day-to-day tasks. If a malware program successfully executes under an administrator account, it may cause significantly more harm as under a more limited user account.
Software that you installed at some time in the past, but never use anymore, should be uninstalled. Without you being aware of it, the critical security loopholes can lurk in old software on your system, which would make penetration possible, although the rest of your system is updated with the latest patches.
When deleting sensitive data from your system, you should leave nothing remaining in the operating system resources. Often apparently deleted files can be completely recreated without a lot of effort. This is where the shredder component helps, which is contained in the G DATA products InternetSecurity, G DATA TotalCare and G DATA NotebookSecurity. It performs multiple deletions of files and overwrites them with random data. This ensures these files are reliably protected against unwanted reproduction.