Protect your personal computer/smartphone - Save yours coins from hacking!

[Lucius]

One of the big problems we all face when it comes to cryptocurrency is security. So how can an average person protect themselves from some of the threats that come from the internet and represent a direct danger for our wallets?

The safety of our devices should come first, and therefore need to be protected by selecting the best security software. In what follows I will describe what I have personally used for many years and what gives me great protection so far.

Norton Security is a security package that offers one of the best protection on the market, and among others, it includes antivirus, firewall, antispam, browser protection, antiphishing, banking protection... Anyone can get a 30-day trial, and if you are satisfied you can buy a subscription (I bought my in Marketplace > Goods > Digital goods very cheap - please check user trust ratings/use escrow). https://hk-en.norton.com/downloads

Malwarebytes is a security software with a high reputation and one of the most famous tools for malware/adware prevention and removal. Can be used as a free version to scan and remove malware, but also in the Premium version that provides proactive protection against malware, ransomware, and web&exploit protection. Trial version offers 30 days of Premium protection, and you can buy a very cheap licence in Digital goods board. https://www.malwarebytes.com/products/

CCleaner is already a legendary little utility for cleaning up all the junk that piles up on your computer after surfing, and regular using of your PC. By using this tool you will free space on your disk, remove all surfing data/cookies, and there is also option for repair/clean registry. There is free and paid version, but free is quite sufficient for most users. https://www.ccleaner.com/ccleaner

I must emphasize that you do not need a supercomputer to use these programs, my configuration is just 4GB of RAM + i3 processor, everything works perfectly. For even more protection, regularly upgrade your computer with security/critical updates (for Windows), and use common sense.

[tbct_mt2]

This is one of way to be safe in crypto.

Keep devices clean and prevent threats to attack or compromise devices. It is security.

What listed in OP are support tools to increase security but the importance of being carefully on the Internet is key. Don't click on strange links (invitation, sites, whatever); don't download and install strange things; don't install wallets without verification. Tools can not protect us from all dangerous threats on the Internet. If we are careless, we will be caught by hackers someday.

Additionally, the privacy is important too. Some crypto investors carelessly do KYCs for shit bounties or unknowingly disclose their personal identities over the Internet, on third-party sites. They don't know that losing privacy potentially result in losses too.

I meant there are two big things for crypto investors: security and privacy. They have to finish required things to protect their security and privacy concurrently.

[desticy]

Personally, I do not welcome such a technique, when we need to install something on our mobile system in order to secure it.

However, there is no guarantee that the installed application will not be compromised in the future through an unknown vulnerability.
Therefore, if you have an android, it is better to refrain from using mobile to access your wallets.

As for the personal computer, MAC is a good choice.
For Windows users, the built-in antivirus is quite suitable, as well as the absence of hacked programs in the system.

[mk4]

Another protip: learn to use Linux! Not just to save your coins, but also your data and your privacy.

Though the learning curve might be quite steep depending on your knowledge on computers even though I'd say Linux Mint and Ubuntu are decently newbie friendly, your device in general will mostly be more secure with Linux(assuming you don't do super dumb stuff like randomly executing commands you see online), compared to Windows. Why? Simply due to the fact that most malware and viruses are made specifically to target Windows devices due to most people using Windows operating systems.

[BigBoom3599]

If you want to protect your coins, just use a hardware wallet. Way easier and waaay more secure than an antivirus :p An antivirus isn't going to protect you from proper malware anyway.
Yes, they aren't that cheap (not expensive either nowadays) but they are absolutely worth it considering you could lose your whole stack otherwise.

You're giving the impression here that people will be safe after installing some software, you'll have to do more than that if you want to be safe unfortunately  
As you mentioned, common sense is probably the most important. A hardware wallet won't help you either if you just send coins to a scammer.

[bitmover]

Norton security makes my computer so slow...
I use malware bytes+windows defender only.

About cc cleaner, there are many discussions about it on the internet. It is basically a controversy software
Many people claim it does more harm than good.

https://helpdeskgeek.com/free-tools-review/why-you-shouldnt-download-ccleaner-for-windows-anymore/
Also, Microsoft has never recommended running registry cleaners, nor has it developed its own, mostly because it doesn’t want users messing around with the registry. Just one inadvertent mistake in deleting a registry key could potentially corrupt your entire Windows operating system.

The reality is that there are stories out there of people experiencing damage to their Windows OS by running CCleaner’s registry cleaner.

If it’s dangerous for you to manually go through the registry and edit it yourself, why would you let a third-party application go in and try to “guess” what registry keys are unnecessary? There is also no evidence that registry cleaners speed up Windows.

https://blog.ipswitch.com/should-you-use-a-registry-cleaner-like-ccleaner
So is CCleaner Safe to Use?

Regardless, there are some stories out there of CCleaner breaking Windows. The point is, why bother messing with the registry if those useless registry files do nothing to harm your PC performance in the first place? Running a registry cleaner is essentially a waste of time and runs the risk of only causing more problems.

Windows is designed to deal with the registry and any potential registry errors. If Microsoft felt that cleaning the registry would help your computer, they probably would have built it into Windows by now. They haven't because the registry doesn't need to be cleaned, despite what others may have told you. Registry keys do not take up enough space for us to even notice them nowadays. I actually have doubts about whether or not there was a computer performance boost from cleaning your registry 10 years ago.

[hatshepsut93]

Another protip: learn to use Linux! Not just to save your coins, but also your data and your privacy.

Though the learning curve might be quite steep depending on your knowledge on computers even though I'd say Linux Mint and Ubuntu are decently newbie friendly, your device in general will mostly be more secure with Linux(assuming you don't do super dumb stuff like randomly executing commands you see online), compared to Windows. Why? Simply due to the fact that most malware and viruses are made specifically to target Windows devices due to most people using Windows operating systems.

For many people, this isn't an option - they use Windows because they use software that only work on this platform on a daily basis, and there's no good alternatives for Linux, or it would require too much effort to switch. You could recommend dual-booting Linux and Windows to use Linux for crypto and other important things, but I personally had a lot of problems with such setup, so it may be not for everyone.

[mk4]

For many people, this isn't an option - they use Windows because they use software that only work on this platform on a daily basis, and there's no good alternatives for Linux, or it would require too much effort to switch. You could recommend dual-booting Linux and Windows to use Linux for crypto and other important things, but I personally had a lot of problems with such setup, so it may be not for everyone.

Sure, that's understandable. But with Linux's Wine software being developed and getting better by the daily, Linux is slowly but surely getting more viable. But yea, if you need specific software on Windows, you either dual boot, or create a VM instance just to be able to run that specific software.

[cryptoaddictchie]

Hi OP,  the topic entitled also protection in smartphone? By the way, I'm rarely using my PC for securing my coins and altcoins. All of my private key and important wallet address stored only to my mobile notepad and etc.

 Is these three suggestion applicable to mobile phone also? Cause most discussion above and concerns is for PC users. Id never been hacked before or stolen some of my coins and tokens but to be safe wanted to have some protection applicable for phones. Would you or anyone here have any suggestion or recommendation? Thanks for sharing.

[sheenshane]

snip-
 Is these three suggestion applicable to mobile phone also? Cause most discussion above and concerns is for PC users. Id never been hacked before or stolen some of my coins and tokens but to be safe wanted to have some protection applicable for phones. Would you or anyone here have any suggestion or recommendation? Thanks for sharing.

Yes, Norton has an app version and you can download it on google play store, here. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.symantec.mobilesecurity&hl=en.

I used antivirus even my phone and on my PC to have security in all my assets were stored. It helps to protect and increase another security layer on our device against threats such as malicious apps, or even theft and from remote hacking.

Thank OP for the heads up to others, these protips of yours is very important to avoid hacking.
In addition, you may look out this link for further information on antivirus software, Top 10 Best Free Virus Protection 2019.

[Steamtyme]

My problem so far luckily hasn't been my hardware. I've been fairly cautious when it came to where I clicked and what sort of traffic I put my home network through. This was of course learned through the early years of streaming, then realizing the shit you could pick up.

I did start to invest in protection a few years ago, when I realized how much access my PC could provide someone with nefarious intentions. There was a discount version of Mcafee available at the time that allowed install on all my devices. I've stuck with it through the years, at first because I didn't end auto-renewal. I have found it to be to aggressive at times, even ignoring items that I whitelist, which was infuriating. I still don't use all it's features, but run a scan when I log onto any home PC, that I'm using for either a wallet, or other personal info. This is on top of leaving it online all the time on all personal PC's in the house. I let it scan anything I'm going to download. So far it's served me well.
I have yet to place it on my phone, but see that it is an option. I just never got around to it, and don't use my mobile wallet anymore for more than say 50$ I would be spending pretty much immediately.
I do have a mining rig that doesn't get to talk to the rest of the network. Mcafee doesn't get to run except when I tell it to, as it constantly deletes a GPU miner file, no matter how many times I tell it to leave it alone.

[Lucius]

Tools can not protect us from all dangerous threats on the Internet. If we are careless, we will be caught by hackers someday.

There is no 100% protection, but as I said before, security software is just the first line of defense. In my case any threat is stopped before it caused any damage to my computer, that's why I recommended those programs.

Therefore, if you have an android, it is better to refrain from using mobile to access your wallets.

There is no need to refrain from using hot wallets on smartphones, but these must be newer generation devices that regularly receive patches for security vulnerabilities. With some solid antivirus and caution when installing apps from the Play Store, any device with the Android OS is pretty safe.

If you want to protect your coins, just use a hardware wallet. Way easier and waaay more secure than an antivirus :p An antivirus isn't going to protect you from proper malware anyway.

I totally agree and advocate such an approach, it's something I've done a long time ago, and I can say that I'm sleeping a lot more peacefully after that. But even with hardware wallet users can lose their coins, clipboard malware or phishing attempts are a daily occurrence. In most cases, good AV or MB will stop crypto users to do irreversible damage.

Norton security makes my computer so slow...

I post about my PC, with only 4 GB of RAM and i3 CPU everything works pretty well, it all depends on the OS you are using and your hardware configuration. There may be a conflict with another program.

People need to be careful when using CCleaner though. Last time i run it on automatic it clears all cookies and i had to login to several website.

That's one of the things that the program does, it removes cookies and everything that is left after surfing/using PC. In my case, it is cleaning 200-300 MB of data after a few hours of surfing. But I am not using any automatic login, this was never a problem for me.

Steamtyme, maybe its time to try something new, most security programs offer 30 or more days trial, so there are no costs and risks.

[mersal]

Hi OP,  the topic entitled also protection in smartphone? By the way, I'm rarely using my PC for securing my coins and altcoins. All of my private key and important wallet address stored only to my mobile notepad and etc.

 Is these three suggestion applicable to mobile phone also? Cause most discussion above and concerns is for PC users. Id never been hacked before or stolen some of my coins and tokens but to be safe wanted to have some protection applicable for phones. Would you or anyone here have any suggestion or recommendation? Thanks for sharing.

Smartphones,particularly android can be spied easily,for protecting from such things never install any apps from thridparty websites,keep the software and apps upto date,never click any links send to your mobile even links can be hidden under pictures.And one more saving your keys on notepad is not a good idea,either you have t keep it in an offline drive or a device which will never connected to internet.

[mk4]

Id never been hacked before or stolen some of my coins and tokens but to be safe wanted to have some protection applicable for phones. Would you or anyone here have any suggestion or recommendation? Thanks for sharing.

You really won't need any antivirus/antimalware on your mobile device unless:

• You carelessly rooted your device(Android) without knowing the risks
• You download and install random APKs especially from random and untrusted websites
• You carelessly give app permissions to certain apps that doesn't really need that specific permission (e.g. storage and camera permission from a calculator app)
• Along with any of the 3 I've mentioned, you keep your phone's OS outdated for a while

I've had no antiviruses and antimalwares on any of my phones since the first time I've held a smartphone and I never had any problems/leaks. You just need to be not-careless.

[cryptoaddictchie]

Id never been hacked before or stolen some of my coins and tokens but to be safe wanted to have some protection applicable for phones. Would you or anyone here have any suggestion or recommendation? Thanks for sharing.

You really won't need any antivirus/antimalware on your mobile device unless:

• You carelessly rooted your device(Android) without knowing the risks
• You download and install random APKs especially from random and untrusted websites
• You carelessly give app permissions to certain apps that doesn't really need that specific permission (e.g. storage and camera permission from a calculator app)
• Along with any of the 3 I've mentioned, you keep your phone's OS outdated for a while

I've had no antiviruses and antimalwares on any of my phones since the first time I've held a smartphone and I never had any problems/leaks. You just need to be not-careless.

Just as I expected. Anyway thanks for the tips it seems like I did the same process to keep safe. I always udpate my phone OS and never install any random APK.

I think I will just use phone for doing crypto business rather than using PC which is really prone to viruses that can lead to a hacking event.

What only cons of using mobile phone is the storing for some major coins which needed MACos and Linux. If I wanted to store some tokens or coins needed to install their wallet via PC or yet if the exchange have these coins supported.

[Beparanf]

Just as I expected. Anyway thanks for the tips it seems like I did the same process to keep safe. I always udpate my phone OS and never install any random APK.

I think I will just use phone for doing crypto business rather than using PC which is really prone to viruses that can lead to a hacking event.

What only cons of using mobile phone is the storing for some major coins which needed MACos and Linux. If I wanted to store some tokens or coins needed to install their wallet via PC or yet if the exchange have these coins supported.

I use CCleaner too. Will consider the others listed by OP when I tried to full time crypto trading since now There are only 3 crypto apps I have in my laptop, but tons in my cp. Sometimes I use my old phone when I'm going to try new applications or before when there are bounties that needs to upload the wallet to be able to submit a wallet address

[mk4]

Just as I expected. Anyway thanks for the tips it seems like I did the same process to keep safe. I always udpate my phone OS and never install any random APK.

I think I will just use phone for doing crypto business rather than using PC which is really prone to viruses that can lead to a hacking event.

What only cons of using mobile phone is the storing for some major coins which needed MACos and Linux. If I wanted to store some tokens or coins needed to install their wallet via PC or yet if the exchange have these coins supported.

Just a last tip, just so if you don't know yet, grab a hardware wallet like the Ledger Nano or a Trezor if you hold a significant amounts worth of cryptocurrencies. While I'd say that your mobile phone is harder to hack compared to your desktop computer, it's still very possible.

[JeotQ]

Hardware wallet all the way, i don't trust ccleaner software and the rest, if you used to cc cleaner very well you should know that it sometimes deletes off some files in windows and your pc won't run without giving you notice of missing window files, safe yourself the headaches and go for hardware wallet instead

[Lucius]

~snip~

Hardware wallet is one of the safest ways to hold crypto, no doubt about that, but as I have already written, there is a possibility that those who use them may lose their coins due clipboard malware or via fake sites that ask users to type their seed because their device is in danger. The programs I have listed help to maintain a secure environment, which is very important, although (for now) hardware wallets can also be used on an infected computer.

It's up to you personally to believe in something or not, but CCleaner never made me the slightest problem. The problem is that some use it inappropriately, and even neglect the option that is always offered before performing any action - backup/system restore point. Even deleted files can be easily recovered in this case.

[lobat999]

Hardware wallet all the way, i don't trust ccleaner software and the rest, if you used to cc cleaner very well you should know that it sometimes deletes off some files in windows and your pc won't run without giving you notice of missing window files, safe yourself the headaches and go for hardware wallet instead

I'm a long time Ccleaner user and I agree with @Lucius's preference for it, but so far, I haven't had any experience of instability just like what you've mentioned.

But to be sure, I think its best to activate windows system restore as a contingency plan if something bad really happens unexpectedly.