Tips to secure computer from virus
When the discussion comes to securing your computer from viruses and malware, the obvious choice that comes to our mind is surely using any “anti-virus” and keeping it up-to-date.
However if you consider your options and weigh them, then no wonder you would realize that there are other stuff that you can really do…
These are rather more effective than just installing an effective up-to-date anti-virus, so let’s see all the options one by one…
- Anti-Virus
- Beware of unknown attachments!
- Use firewalls
- Avoid sharing your Computer
- Why call for extra trouble when you are not using internet?
- Stay Secure!
Firstly when you say the word Anti-virus, it is basically a software designed to protect your computer against known viruses, but with one or the other new virus emerging on a daily basis, anti-virus programs need regular updates.
You can pick any Anti-virus of your choice amongst the various options available such as Norton Symantec 360, Avira, Kaspersky, AVG, MacAfee etc., and then regularly check with the official website of your anti-virus software company to see some sample descriptions of viruses and to get regular updates for your software.
You can also read more reviews of anti-viruses, to make the best choice according to your needs. Remember that some of them are premium and would cost you a bit (not too much) but even there are many efficient freeware like AVG, which can get the job done totally free of cost!
Every now and then you would receive spam mails and often they will be accompanied by attachments, which might contain malicious attacks, so better beware of them.
If you receive mails like – Congratulations You have Won!!!? – XXXX NATIONAL LOTTERY HEADQUARTERS… then be cent percent sure that you are never gonna’ make a penny outta’ it.
But if you open it and let your system be attacked by some harmful malicious attack hidden inside it, then sure thing you would end up spending few bucks in getting your system fixed!
So never open emails or attachments from unknown sources, and always be suspicious of any unexpected email attachments even if they appear to be from someone you know (but not pretty well).
So whenever you receive a suspicious email (like that lottery one), the best thing to do is to delete the entire message, including all the attachments.
Firewalls create a protective wall between your computer and the outside world, and come in primarily two forms; software firewalls that run on your personal computer and hardware firewalls that protect a number of computers at the same time.
They not only help in protecting your computer from malicious attacks, but also ensure that Internet intruders (unauthorized persons) can not gain access to your computer while you are using the Internet.
Tip: Regularly download security updates and “patches” for operating systems and other software. Most major software companies today release updates and patches to close newly discovered vulnerabilities in their software.
It’s best not to share access to your computers with lesser known persons or strangers. Try to learn about file sharing risks as there are too many complications.
Just take of the fact that your computer operating system may allow other computers on a network, including the Internet, to access the hard-drive of your computer in order to share files.
So this ability to share files can be used to infect your computer or look at the files on your computer.
Remedy: Check your operating system and your other program help files to learn how to disable file sharing.
Logically speaking it’s quite simple… but just try asking yourself whether you really do it? In fact many a times, even I don’t disconnect my computer from the Internet when not in use.
However that is one of the best ways of avoiding extra trouble because disconnecting your system from the Internet when you are not online reduces the probability of someone accessing your computer.
Above all, if you haven’t kept your anti-virus software up-to-date, or don’t have a firewall in place, someone could infect your computer or use it to harm someone else on the Internet.
You should check your security on a regular basis, so evaluate your computer security at least twice on a yearly basis.
Probably a good idea would be to do it when you change the clocks for daylight savings!
Moreover additionally make sure you have the security level appropriate for you and also that your family members and others (like employees etc) know what to do if your computer becomes infected.
Furthermore, people should always know how to update virus protection software, how to download security patches from software vendors, and how to create a proper password.
Try to even back-up your computer data on CDs or DVDs regularly and if you have access to a network, save copies of your data on another computer in the network as well.
These are some of the ways of securing you PC from viruses and getting prepared to encounter any uninvited trouble!
