Where there is money, there is always a thief trying to get it illegally. Hackers can do a great deal of damage if they can access your computer. Not only can they get sensitive information about you, but about your clients and customers as well (if you’ve ever had your credit card compromised because of an online purchase, you know this can happen). Further, hackers can hijack your machine, wipe out data and more.

Here are a few ways you can work to keep your computer safe from hackers:

1) Encrypt and password protect your wifi. Have you ever looked in your network connections and saw a list of “available” networks that aren’t yours? Wifi doesn’t know the boundary of your home, which means someone can park outside your house and access your wifi, unless you turn on encryption and password protect it.

2) Don’t use public wifi. It’s nice to get out of the house to work sometimes, but it can be dangerous to your data, as public wifi won’t protect your computer from hackers. If you work outside your home regularly, consider purchasing a hotspot, which is a portable wifi router that you can password protect. Many smartphones offer the option to become a hotspot as well. Just make sure your hotspot is encrypted and password protected.

3) Use long, multi-type character passwords. The idea that you should use unique passwords is nothing new. But now that hackers use computer tools to force their way in, even passwords that are unique can be compromised.

The problem with using long, multi-type character passwords is remembering them. A program such as LastPass will generate unique password and store them for you. All you have to do is remember your LastPass password to access them. You can get LastPass on your smartphone, as well as your computer, so you can access your data (one a protected network of course) while on the go. Consider changing your passwords regularly, just to be safe.

4) Backup your data. There are two ways to backup your computer files. One is to save all the information on an external drive. This keeps your data in-house, although it can still be vulnerable if someone accesses your computer and the drive is connected. A second option is to back up to the cloud. This is generally viewed as a safer alternative, although the recent hacking of Apple’s iCloud that resulted in the leak of nearly 500 celebrity photos, shows nothing is 100% safe. According to Apple, this breach came in the form of password attacks, which is a reminder to use strong passwords.

5) Research online services carefully. If you use web-based services such as financial management and online banking, make sure you research the company carefully. Read the information on how its keeping your data secure from prying eyes.

6) Use file deletion software to scrub your computer clean. If you watch forensic shows on television, you know that when the bad guy deletes his search on poisons, that it’s not really deleted. Of course, you’re not plotting murder on your computer, but simply deleting your personal or client files will not be enough to keep it from hackers. Using a software will erase your data so that it can’t be recovered or restored.  

7) Never get complacent. Hackers never rest and you shouldn't either. Protection tools and strategies aren't 100% guaranteed to prevent hacking. Even with your protection in place, make sure your computer systems, tools and programs are updated, as many hackers sneak in through bugs that are often fixed in updates. Monitor your accounts for unusual activity that could be an indication that a hack has a occurred. Change your passwords every so often.