Computer Virus Do's and Don'ts

Computer viruses come in many flavors and brands of destruction: Trojans, malware, adware, spyware and worms, just to name a few. And there are new ones released every day. A computer virus is a program that can replicate itself and infect computer after computer. Antivirus software attempts to create scanners that catch and destroy these viruses.

The methods and end results of viruses vary wildly from stealthily stealing all your password information to rendering your machine completely infected and unrecoverable. Almost without exception, though, you have to invite these parasites into your network and usually do so unwittingly.

A lot of these types of damaging viruses arrive via your email account; by knowing what to watch out for you can make sure your computer is safe from the criminal computer virus element.

Do:

• Immediately delete any email with an attachment from an unrecognizable address.
• Install the best antivirus software for your computer’s needs.
• Choose antivirus software that performs automatic email scanning.
• Continuously watch for software updates to your operating system and your chosen antivirus software. Activate automatic updates for this software.
• Activate/install a firewall on your computer’s network.
• Consider installing antispyware to work in concert with your antivirus software. The best antivirus software suites have this included in their offerings.
• Be cautious when receiving suspicious attachments – attachments are suspicious when you don’t know who the sender is and when they arrive unsolicited.
  • Be aware there is a type of virus that attaches to your email contacts’ addresses and forwards on the damaging attachment to all the contents of your email contact list.
• Notify recipients of emails/attachments from you that you are sending attachments so your recipients don’t delete the contents of your legitimate attachments in an effort to protect themselves.
• Use email software with built-in spam filters. This can also help your firewall and antivirus software sort the legit from the suspicious.
• Like your operating system and antivirus software, make sure your email program is kept current with any and all available security patches or updates.
• Keep in touch with the new and latest threats to computer security using Norton Threat Explorer, McAfee and ESET Virus Radar.

Don't:

• Do NOT even open an email from an unrecognized source.
• Do NOT open any suspicious attachments when you don’t recognize the sender. Someone you don’t know has no reason to send attachments to your email other than for shady purposes. If the attachment were real, you would know the sender.
• Don’t download anything unless and until you are running current, updated antivirus software.

In a way, your computer’s safety is now somewhat synonymous with your personal safety. Your identity and personal information as stored and capture by the personal computing machines of today, certainly, must be protected as fiercely as you protect the front door of your home. Any time spent online you are now a target for the criminal element.

Keep current with all of the threats to computer safety and invest in implementing and maintaining antivirus software and a firewall along with your computer’s operating system and you will be protected. Pair that will email safety tips and you will have very little to worry about when it comes to computer safety.

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