Viruses and malware are the main tools used by cybercriminals to break into networks and steal data. As a result, anti-malware software like Panda Dome is absolutely essential for keeping your computer and personal data secure. These tools can scan your hard drive for virus infections and remove them automatically.

But cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated, using multiple techniques to break-in. Anti-malware is just the first used in a multi-layer defence system.

Firewalls – keeping the bad guys out of your network

Where anti-malware prevents viruses from being installed on your computer, a firewall stops hackers from getting into your network in the first place. A firewall is designed to block suspicious network activity automatically without affecting normal operations, like surfing the web or sending emails.

It is extremely likely that your WiFi router at home has a firewall built-in, blocking the most obvious hacking attempts from getting into the network. You may also have a firewall running on your computer, which does a similar job, checking network activity.

You can find out more about enabling the built-in firewall here:

VPN – preventing mobile traffic interception

Another way that hackers steal information is by intercepting your WiFi activity using fake access points. All they have to do is to trick you into connecting to their network. Any information passing through the access point can be ‘read’ by hackers, allowing them to steal passwords, credit card numbers and other sensitive personal information.

Using a VPN, like Panda Dome VPN, ensures that all network traffic is encrypted. This encryption means that any intercepted traffic cannot be read or used – it is completely useless. You can use a VPN connection on laptops, desktop computers, tablets and smartphones for total protection.

password manager Panda Security

Password manager

Virtually every website and service requires a password – you may have hundreds of logins to manage and remember. It is very tempting to use the same password repeatedly, but this creates a serious security risk.

If one of these services is hacked and your password is stolen, hackers will test it against other sites to see if it works there too. Every time you re-use a password, you make it easier for them to steal your accounts.

A password manager, like Panda Dome Passwords, can create a new strong password for every website account automatically. It then stores the password in a secure vault until you need to use it. A password manager makes it really simple to create hundreds (or thousands) of unique, unguessable passwords for all your accounts.

And in the unlikely event that a hacker does break through your VPN, firewall and anti-malware protections, the password manager vault is fully encrypted. They can’t recover your passwords anyway.

Security is a serious matter

Multi-layer security is the only effective way to deal with hackers and cybercriminals. Anti-malware provides an important base layer of protection – but to truly protect yourself, you need more. Adding firewall, VPN and password manager capabilities to your security set-up is the best way to keep your sensitive data secure.

Download a free trial of Panda Dome to see for yourself just how easily it can be done.