iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Major companies such as Equifax and Yahoo! have made headlines recently after both suffered massive data breaches.

The hacks have raised questions about the online security of large companies and how much information people should share on the web. It has also raised concern for folks who believe they will be a target of hackers when they log in to their personal computer.

Some fear a hacking may be inevitable, but there are some easy ways to avoid being the victim of a cybercrime.

Craig Williams is the Senior Manager of Security Outreach at Cisco Systems and recently spoke with ABC News about how people can keep their data secure and avoid being hacked on their personal computer.

When it comes to logging on a personal computer, Williams says the first thing people should do is update their machine whenever the latest version updates become available. Often times a pop up will appear asking if a user would like to install updates. It will install the latest protections to keep the computer safe from new trends that emerge in cyber hacking.

Williams’ next tip is to install an ad blocker on whichever individual browser a person uses because a large amount of malware reaches a home user’s computer through online ads.

Being suspicious of ads not only on a browser, but also in email attachments is also important, according to Williams. The “too-good-to-be-true” ads, such as an email with an attachment that reads something like “You’ve won a million dollars!” have a good chance of being fake and containing some sort of malware. Williams warns users to be wary of such emails and to immediately delete them without ever opening any attachments.

One final tip is to back up everything on a personal computer, whether it be on an external hard drive or in cloud storage. A cyber-threat could eventually destroy a computer, so having a backup can restore data almost immediately. Williams adds that many people take this step after their personal work or data has been wiped out, which is often times too late.

Williams says Cisco is blocking 19.7 billion threats daily and the company examines the threats closely to identify new trends because it is those unforeseen trends that make computers so vulnerable.

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