when i comes to online crimes,we are not helpless victims.there are several things we can do to deter cyber criminals looking to steal our information and destroy our data. the good news is that we do not have to be tech-heads to implement most of these. when these preventions are in place,most online criminals will move on and seek out those who do not have protection against cyber-crimes. the most basic step is to keep up with your security updates and patches for your computer. there are software flaws and security breaches in all software. software developers are constantly updating their product to protect you against attack. many popular software programs will allow you to set up automatic downloads of updates and patches. it is recommended you take advantage of this feature. you need to make sure you configure your computer securely, especially your browser.take the time to understand how this works or consult somebody who does. it can make the difference of blocking out harmful malware or letting it through to damage your system.