If you use a computer even rarely, chances are that at some point of time, you have been effected by a virus. If you were lucky, the virus may have been embarrassing you by only wasting your time and energy but if you were not so lucky may have you lost your valuable data.
The viruses are a threat to Microsoft Windows based computer across the world. Thus, to reduce our risk of virus infection, we must not relax our vigilance, we must take steps to ensure that our computers are safe.
Complacency is always a big problem.
There are four important steps you must take to ensure that your computer is protected:
1. Install and run Anti-Virus program and Anti-malware program
There are many to choose from. We will say, select one that has enough reputation and gives real time protection.
Symantec maintains one of the best reference sites for safety issues that are related to viruses , although their product offerings are often too complex.
One thing to keep in mind is that all antivirus catch every known viruses but one may miss certain virus . For this reason, it is a good idea to have a variety of antivirus further to run as a “second tier” as from usb pen drive. Many virus scanning solutions downloadable, have free trial periods, which are great for second-level examinations once.
The important thing is that you download and install your package of choice. Do it now. You should not want to forget it.
2. Update Anti-Virus Database
The next step after installing your anti- virus is to update the database of signatures of viruses that accompanies it. The databases used by common anti- virus are updated frequently, because new viruses are created every day. For best protection, you need to upgrade to the latest database of your program right away.
In most programs there is a function that will find, download and install the latest databases automatically and regularly. You just need to ensure that this option is enabled.
3. Run manual full scan
The most common anti- virus work automatically. After installation, they will scan all incoming and outgoing files, and they will hang in your email address to ensure that your e-mail received is not infected.
Make sure that this “real time” scanning is enabled, unless you know what you do. (However, if analysis of the messages interfering with your mail program, you can disable it.)
It is also important that you perform regular manual thorough or full scans of your hard drive (s). When you install the software you must run a full scan. Therefore, depending on how much you use your machine, you must perform a periodic analysis.
With some programs you can schedule these scans to occur automatically. For example, if your computer stay on 24 hours a day, the timing of virus scan full run at night while you sleep.
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4. Keep Windows Up-To-Date
Just activate the feature of automatic update of Windows 7, or be sure to visit Windows Update regularly.
Software has bugs, it is a fact of life. Unfortunately, the authors of viruses are able to enjoy some of these bugs to create viruses that can infect your system. Microsoft fixes the affected components in the operating system that these bugs are found, and makes them available for download and automatic installation via Windows Update.
However, the authors of viruses know that not everyone stays in place and current. So, once the bugs are discovered and rampant, and even when the fix is available, they are busy writing that the virus will still operate.
For example, many, many people still continue to play a very once popular Ask Leo! ; we are giving emphasis on this subject because they are still affected by a virus using an exploit that was patched years back. Then why it is still propagated? Because their systems are not updated, and therefore, they remain vulnerable to attack.
Again: Keep your Windows Updated. If you’re not going to allow automatic updates (we do not support this though; automatic updates are best option to be kept selected) , then visit Windows Update weekly. There may be other people have the pleasure of being affected with the latest viruses .
5. Install a separate anti-malware
Do the same as you should do anti virus. Update regularly, scan your PC regularly with it. If you have high suspicion of getting infected, restart in safe mode and run the antimalware to do a thorough scan.
Additional notes
You may wonder why there are no anti- virus mentioned above. Well, the truth is that there is no “best” anti- virus , even those who are better or worse than others change over time. They each can catch something the other fails, or vice versa. The best thing to do is choose one as primary, and keep the others on call in case something slips by one you use regularly.
Make sure that if you install more than one program, you do not “real time” scanning for more than one at a time. This may cause “unpredictable results” as it comes into conflict with each other.
Other similar articles written by the author:
What are keyloggers, trojans and Backdoors?
What are the signs you may have when your PC is infected by virus
