With increase of online usage, the number and sophistication of attacks against personal computers are on the rise. The How-To Geek offers some excellent advice on "Basic Computer Security: How to Protect Yourself from Viruses, Hackers, and Thieves." This primarily focuses on real-time and reactive detection and blocking.  It also suggests being aware of scams, avoiding malicious links in email (assuming you know they're malicious), and how to protect your information when using the Internet and email.

But it leaves out other important ways to protect yourself and your computer, including recovery / backups and preventive (vs. reactive) blocking of malicious software (aka malware).  These can be especially important in the age of ransomware, encryption, spoofing, phishing, pharming, and the old stand-bys from the 1980s: adware, keyloggers, spyware, trojan horses, viruses and worms. 

Here are the SwampGeek recommendations to protect yourself against malware, invasion of privacy, drive failures and more using powerful, free software:

• Backup
  • Realtime cloud / offsite backup:
    • Crashplan Look for plan that lets you back up all computers you own, but also can use the software to backup files to another system to protect again drive failures and encryption attacks. (Crashplan no longer offers a consumer / family plan and current users must move off by October, 2018)
    • Backblaze
    • Carbonite
    • Google Photos: for images on your phone, desktop
  • Periodic local backups for drive replacement, malware recovery
    • Acronis True Image (free*)
    • EaseUS Todo Backup Free
    • Macrium Reflect Free
• Anti-virus:
  • Windows Defender (free) for Windows 10 (preinstalled)
  • Avira Free Antivirus for Windows for other versions
  • NOTE:  Don't use your antivirus's browser extensions - instead, see better browser plug-ins below
  • Weekly or at least monthly, use Malwarebytes free version for additional scanning / removal
• System-level Ad & Malware Blocking and Privacy Protection
  • HostsMan configured with the MVPS source
  • Replace your ISP's DNS Server using DNS Jumper
  • Use a paid VPN - I've used PureVPN, Private Internet Access and HideMyAss (search for discounts like PureVPN Lifetime license) or use the Opera browser's free VPN
• Password Manager - create unique, secure passwords for each site
  • LastPass (works with all browsers; free version is fine for most, but paid version is only $12/year)
• Browser ad & malware blocking and privacy addons / extensions / plugins (most are available for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera but not Internet Explorer)
  • Adguard AdBlocker (filter known counters and analytical systems, but turn off other custom filters)
  • CanvasFingerprintBlock
  • Disconnect
  • Ghostery
  • Privacy Badger
  • uBlock Origin