When day trading I worry about hacking and viruses... If I have a lap top, my kids are on it playing games and doing homework on it. Should I have a dedicated computer to day trade. I'm worried about possible dangerous website that might hack into my computer and get information I don't want them to have.
I would never in a million years have the family computer as my trading computer. Nobody in my family is even allowed to look at my trading computer let along touch it!
You need an excellent firewall / antivirus - for example I use ZoneAlarms Extreme Security - but you should have this on any computer in your household anyway, regardless of it being a family computer or a trading computer.
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- Trade what you see. Invest in what you believe -
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- Trade what you see. Invest in what you believe -
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The following user says Thank You to JonnyBoy for this post:
Absolutely, no question about that. I would recommend you treat your trading as a business. Have a separate computer that is clean of all other information other than your trading platform. It will work better, faster and add value to how you see yourself as a trader and how you grow as trader. It is imperative you set up a separate computer for your trading.
I am beginner at trading and I use family computer, but If I earn some money and start more seriously I am planning to buy anothet computer juyt for trading.
As someone who works in IT, I agree with what everyone is saying here. Separating your trading from day to day will keep you safe from unintentional leaking of information or worse getting hacked.
For one thing, the thought of having my trading platform available for anyone else to sit down and perhaps just start clicking on things fills me with dread.
For another thing, the thought of my trading machine getting a virus because of someone else's web browsing also fills me with dread.
Mostly, having to tell others that they can't use the only computer in the house because I'm busy with it, and will be busy all day, definitely fills me with dread.
Don't do it. Use a separate machine.
Bob.
When one door closes, another opens.
-- Cervantes, Don Quixote
The following 3 users say Thank You to bobwest for this post:
I use a separate computer for trading only. Not for mails or other programs. It is password protected and i see to it that i have at all times a recent image ready in case of a failure.
How about the internet on your computer?
You have to make sure your internet connection is stable.
Unfortunately mine isnt really that stable. As a solution Im thinking of getting a separate device where you basically have a fixed 4G connection and you connect only your laptop to it.
I've one direct Hathway connection and 2 separate mobile devices that work on 4G, while trading I use 4G only, and other times hathway.
Both of them are fairly cheap options here, for you I don't know but I would also recommend similar arrangement. Internet going bust is very common issue here too.
