Reason #1

Hackers are everywhere; your business rival, your neighbor, or simply a person out to take over your computer. Hackers make use of software loopholes and hijack your computer through backdoors, usually installed programs, or through cracking software. They can gain access to possibly all your personal and sensitive information such as bank accounts, credit cards, or top trade secrets. They can also use your computer to attack other networks, with you oblivious to all the malicious operations.

Reason #2

Internet scams and frauds are rampant. These include phishing, a very organized cybercrime, which deceives people into giving their banking and other sensitive details by pretending to be representatives from legitimate financial institutions, sending e-mail messages, and asking unsuspecting people to verify their passwords, account numbers, and other vital information.

Reason #3

A virus can slow down your computer. Worse, it can cause your system to crash. The virus reaches your system through a number of entryways. One is through unsecured and unknown websites from which you download files, programs, applications, or tools for free. As much as it can infect home computers, viruses can leave damaging effects on companies, both big and small.

Reason #4

Spyware, as the name hints, can spy on you. A computer program automatically installed on your computer, spyware tracks personal information you entered and sends it to its creator. Unlike computer viruses, spyware leaves the computer owners totally unaware of its presence. Most users with infected systems don’t even know that spyware has been installed into their computers.

Reason #5

Adware can fill your screen with those annoying popups. Like spyware, adware penetrates the system through shareware. On its own, it downloads ads and allows them to run and pop up. This proves to be quite annoying for computer owners. But what’s even more troubling is that adware can sometimes contain spyware. This increases the risk for cyber threats.