How To Protect Your Home Computer

Updated on April 3, 2025.

You can protect your home computer by installing antivirus software, configuring your firewall, securing your router, backing up your data regularly and using a password manager. Protecting your home computer is important because of all the tasks you use it for and all the data stored on it. Consider the bank information, passwords, email messages, photos and files that hackers can access if your computer is not protected. Without properly securing your home computer, hackers could potentially steal your money, data and identity through phishing attacks, compromised accounts and malware infections.

Here are some of the best ways you can protect your home computer from cyber threats.

1. Security software

Security software like antivirus software and firewalls are important tools that protect your computer from malware, viruses and cyber attacks. 

Antivirus software

Antivirus software can be installed on your home computer to detect, stop and eliminate known viruses or malware before they can infect your device or other devices on your network.  Malware is malicious software that could steal your data or even spy on your online activity. 

Enable and configure your firewall

A firewall protects your network from external threats, like hackers, by managing incoming and outgoing network traffic. Most modern Operating Systems (OS) have software firewalls, and home routers generally have built-in firewalls that you have to configure to activate. It’s important to enable and configure both your software-based and hardware-based firewalls on your home computer and router to enhance your network’s security and avoid cyber threats.

2. Strong passwords and authentication

Setting up strong passwords, using a password manager and enabling multi-factor authentication keeps your personal information secure from cybercriminals. 

Use strong and unique passwords

You should secure your router by changing the default password to a strong, unique one. The password should be at least 16 characters long, combining uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Additionally, ensure your home computer is protected with a strong password, and create separate profiles for each user to protect their privacy. If your computer supports biometrics, you should encourage everyone in your household to use their fingerprint or Face ID to login. Biometric authentication is a secure way to verify your identity since your fingerprint or Face ID is unique and difficult for hackers to replicate.

Use a password manager

Using a password manager can keep your home computer protected by storing your passwords in an encrypted vault. If you’re sharing your home computer with family members, you should invest in a password manager like Keeper Family Password Manager so each family member has their own digital vault to create, store and protect their passwords. By keeping your passwords in a private, encrypted location, your home computer will be better protected from password-based attacks, including brute force attacks and credential stuffing.

Enable multi-factor authentication 

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) adds an additional layer of protection to your online accounts. Instead of relying solely on your username and password, MFA requires a separate authentication method to verify your identity like biometrics or providing a Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) code. You should enable MFA on all online accounts that offer it to ensure that only you can access your account, even if an unauthorized user compromises your password. 

3. Software updates and data backup

Ensure that your home computer software is up-to-date and regularly backed up to prevent data loss, security breaches and system malfunctions. 

Keep all software up-to-date

Having the most recently released software installed on your home computer is important because newer updates protect you from the latest cyber threats. By installing the latest software updates, your home computer will be equipped with the newest features, patched security flaws and fixed bugs that will increase the security of your device and data. Enabling automatic software updates eliminates the need to remember to manually update your home computer’s software, ensuring your computer has the most recent security features to protect your data.

Regularly back up your data

You can protect your home computer by regularly backing up your data. There are several ways to back up your data securely. 

• External hard drives: These devices provide a reliable offline storage option and can be disconnected from your computer when not in use to avoid potential exposure to cyber threats. 
• Cloud storage services: Services like iCloud, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive or Dropbox offer automatic backups that sync your data securely. Cloud backups are convenient because they allow you to access your files from multiple devices. As mentioned previously, ensure you’re using strong passwords and enable MFA to protect your accounts.  

4. Online safety

Some of the best security practices for online safety include securing your WiFi network and learning how to spot phishing attempts.

Secure your WiFi Network

To secure your WiFi enable WPA3 or WPA2 encryption. These encryption protocols protect your data by encoding all information sent over your network. This ensures that only devices connected to your network with the correct password can decode and access the information, making it significantly harder for unauthorized users to intercept or steal your data. 

In addition to encryption, another important security measure is to disable SSID broadcasting. By default, most routers broadcast the name of your WiFi network (SSID), making it visible to anyone nearby. Disabling SSID broadcasting hides your network from the list of available networks. While this won’t make your network completely invisible, it does make it harder for cybercriminals to find and attempt unauthorized access. Keep in mind that even if your network is hidden, cybercriminals can still attempt to crack your password, so it’s important to use a strong, unique password.

Learn to spot phishing attempts

While using your home computer, you may be targeted with phishing attempts, which aim to trick you into sharing private information with hackers. Protect your home computer by learning how to spot phishing attempts in the following ways:

• Listen to your email service provider’s warnings about potentially dangerous emails
• Notice any urgent language or threatening consequences in suspicious emails
• Be cautious of too-good-to-be-true offers in unsolicited emails
• Avoid clicking on any unsolicited links or attachments in any email
• Look out for discrepancies in email addresses and domain names
• Do not reply to suspicious emails that request personal information

Protect your home computer against vulnerabilities

Your home computer contains important information not only about you but also about any other members of your household who use it. That’s why you should protect your home computer against cyber threats and security vulnerabilities by securing your router, configuring a firewall, installing antivirus software, enabling automatic software updates and using a password manager. Keep your passwords safe from hackers by storing them in a password manager like Keeper^®, which will create, update and store your passwords in an encrypted digital vault.

Start your free 30-day trial of Keeper Password Manager to protect your online accounts and keep your home computer safe against cyber threats.