There are some areas of life that most people don’t like to pay out for – one is insurance, another is IT. Computers cost enough to buy in the first place, then there are all those extra costs on top: software, anti-virus, backups, internet, IT support and help…… it all adds up.

But there are some things that you can do to keep your computers more secure that don’t cost anything other than a few minutes of your time.

Five Free Security Tips

Log Out: Logging out of websites may be a bit of a pain, but it makes for excellent security. Simply closing down the tab/screen does not mean you have logged out and could mean that if someone opens that webpage again, they will have automatic access.

Lock Screen: When you leave your computer to make a cuppa or answer the door, get into the habit of locking the screen. On a Windows computer this can be achieved by pressing the Windows logo key and the ‘L’ key. For a Mac, press Control + Command + Q.

Shut Down: If you are walking away from your laptop for any length of time, it is worth shutting it down. In terms of security, this is less pertinent if you are just using your computer at home, but it is not good practice to leave your devices on for large periods of time or rely upon the ‘sleep’ mode.

Update: When prompted to update your computer, and/or your software, unless you have very good reason not to please update. Whilst time consuming, these are required to keep your systems as secure as the manufacturers and programmers can provide. Any known security risks are usually covered by issuing an update, so it is important that you do.

Educate: Keeping an eye on and an ear out for security news will help you be more attuned to spotting scams and therefore less likely to fall for them. Reading technology blogs, signing up to relevant email newsletters, following social media accounts, and listening out on your favourite news channels will all help you be aware of security issues as and when they arise.

These 5 free tips won’t be enough on their own to prevent the undesirables from attacking your computers, but they are worth getting into the habit of doing to strengthen your armoury.