and is your best chance at fixing the your machine. However even the best anti-virus has to be updated. Without updates your system is only partially protected. So be sure to update your software accordingly.

Password strength is the second step in keeping your information safe. Best password practices are different for every site but a general consensus is that it should be at least eight characters long, contain a capital letter, a number, and a special character (*&^%$#@!). You also shouldn't use the same password for every account because if someone manages to break into one of your accounts then they have access to every account. However, since remembering every complicated password for every account can be almost impossible so also consider the use of a password manager service but be sure that your password for the service is extra secure. Never keep passwords on paper out in the open for anyone to see.

It is also important to be cautious when viewing your email. Scams today aren't as simple as they were back when they first started coming about. Now scammers are using emails that look incredibly authentic so you should know a few basic rules of email communication like banks will never ask you for sensitive banking information out of the blue via email. It's getting more and more common to see email scams that take you to non legitimate sites that secretly download malicious programs onto your machine so be sure to manually type in links that you find in emails from sources your unsure about. Scammers can hide the real url in email by making it look like a trusted source but really it goes to a scam site. Downloading files from email can also lead to infection if one isn't careful. Only download files from emails that come from trusted sources. Finally, don't give out any personal information out to emails comimg from stranges sources.

And with everything else comes the value of education. Make an effort to learn about what scams/tactics people are using to get access to your information. Know the risks inherent to using the internet and its services. Understand the terminology and be able to apply this knowledge to your browsing and other internet activity. You are only as safe as you are educated.