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Updated October 9, 2023If you want to go an extra mile and enjoy organization, start using browser profiles, which are a browser feature that let you and others maintain separate privacy and personal settings while using the same browser. The main browsers of today, like Firefox and Chrome, all support the use of multiple profiles.
Using browser profiles is as much a usability benefit as a security benefit. They let you keep your personal and business life separated from each other digitally. Your browser history, plugins, stored passwords, and bookmarks are all stored in a separate profile. For example, if you use a not-so-safe browser plugin on one profile to watch Netflix in the UK, then that won’t put at risk any browser data stored for your business accounts in your business profile. (That is totally just a hypothetical example.) Browser profiles also tend to give you different visual cues to help you tell which one you might be in, either by having a profile picture overlap the software icon in your taskbar or by even letting you change the color backgrounds. If you’re a constant multitasker, this feature alone is a huge help.
Years ago, everyone manually installed anti-virus software (which is more accurately called anti-malware software) to detect, mitigate, and prevent malware on your computer. Now, operating systems have become advanced and contain most of the protective features we need without having to download other third-party software. This is a good thing, because half the battle of downloading something is trying to understand if it is safe.
confusion For mobile phones, you will see anti-virus software in the app stores, but you don’t need it. You should only be downloading your apps from the pre-built-in app stores like Google Play Store and Apple App Store. There are multiple checks that happen before an app can be hosted in an app store, and while it is not perfect, it covers most of your needs. (If you know what an APK file is, you should only be downloading these from the internet if you actually know what you are getting into, and if it is to a device that is essentially a throw away.)
As far as computers, people who create malware tend to make it mostly for Windows. Windows comes with built-in anti-malware features that are turned on by default using Microsoft Defender. Now is a great time to check that this is still enabled for you, along with all the other security recommendations it provides, such as signature updates and an enabled firewall.