Keeping your computer and data safe from viruses is very important. Hackers try to access all sorts of data from all over the world, and they can be impossible to trace.

Luckily, email hosting platforms and social media have become more vigilant and do have safeguards in place, but there are a few things you should always keep in mind. Invest in good and trusted anti-virus software. There are plenty of products around, so you should read up on independent reviews that can be found on line. When purchasing a home computer, the shop that you buy it from will normally try to sell you an anti-virus package.

Shops do try to oversell, so do your homework before you buy. See how much it would cost to buy the software independently, first. You don’t even have to buy a physical package, you can just order it on the internet and it will download and install straight to your computer. Again, see what suits you best. You might want to even download a trial version first to see how it performs. It is important to run the software at least once a week if you want to make sure that you are safe. You should also regularly update your software to protect against new threats.

You should also pick good solid passwords. Random is best, with capital letters, symbols and numbers being part of the build. You should never use spouse’s, children’s or pet’s names, because hackers can easily look on your social media profiles and make an educated guess. Most importantly, never ever give your password to anyone. Reputable companies will never ask you for any password and if you give it away, you can be sure that you will be hacked.

Another good tip is to look at your internet browser security settings. You can tweak these as you find necessary in order to prevent popup spams.

Many people like to use their home computer as a home media server. These days, it is possible to hook up your smart television and music devices to a media hub. This setup is beneficial because it allows the user to keep everything in order through one centralised system which can be accessed by different gadgets.

So how do you go about it? The best way to do it for the casual user, is to buy a decent powered PC with a quad core processor. You will need a wireless modem, a router, and a smart television. If your TV does not allow wireless connection, then don’t despair, there are ways around that too, and you can connect through a hard network connection. This is essentially to allow your computer and other gadgets to read each other.

You will need to make sure that you buy a PC that has decent storage capacity. If you don’t want to have all your media files stored on the actual computer, you can always buy a good external hard disk. Another option is to buy an internal hard disk and a cradle which mimics the function on a computer connection.

Once all your gadgets are connected to your computer, you should have a one-stop solution where you can view your photographs, access your music, movies and more. Because everything goes through the one computer, there is no need to load up USB sticks and the like, because the data is transmitted straight from the PC to the other medium. If a music system is connected upstairs, for example, it can play the music that is on your PC by accessing it directly. It can be quite tricky to set up, but there are plenty of tutorials online that can help you do so.

Most people who fall into the main bracket of home computer users, simply want a machine to browse the internet, send a few emails, and use social media. You might not want anything fancy, just an ergonomic machine that is economical on physical space, but will still do the job without becoming overloaded.

As we mentioned in a previous section, many machines nowadays come ready to run out of a box. This is literally, the plug in and play system. While it might be tempting to opt for the cheapest deal in the computer store, you need to make sure that you are going to have enough processing power. If, for example, you are planning on using your machine to have about six programs open at one go, then you are going to have to spend a little more.

Some people get caught in the trap of buying a super cheap machine, only to complain that it runs slowly when there are more than a couple of programs open at any given time. Pushing the computer too far will also cause it to slow down over time, and it will just get even more frustrating for the owner.

The key here is to buy something that lies in the middle price range. These machines often marry a decent processor and a fair amount of storage space that allows for the use of virtual memory in case of overload.

Again, it is important to think ahead. Will you be connecting a printer and scanner, a USB hub or a sound system? Cheap computers are cheap because they have less components, so it is a good idea to see how many USB ports the machine has. You will need a good amount to connect your keyboard, mouse, sound system, and perhaps an external storage device. Even if you are using your PC for the basics, it is always a good idea to buy something that has an HDMI port so you can connect it your television to view photos, videos and more.