Computer virus protection becomes a very easy task if you follow few simple steps described in this page. These steps are very easy but very effective.
It's important to keep viruses in perspective. They are but one threat to your data and programs. They need not be regarded as mysterious and they are quite easy to understand. Here are guidelines to keep in mind when considering viruses:
1. You can only get a virus by executing an infected program or booting from an infected diskette. Any diskette can be infected by a boot sector virus, even non-bootable diskettes, CD's, and DVD's. So do not unknown programs.
2. You cannot get a virus simply by being on the internet or using an online service. You will only become infected if you download an infected file and execute that file. This is a very critical step for Computer virus protection. Do not download unknown programs from the Internet. Always download from trust worthy websites.
3. Make sure you have backups for all your files. Backups are essential not only to safely recover from virus infections, but also to recover from the other threats to your data (such as a hard disk failure).
4. Be sure to check all new software for viruses before installing or using them. Even shrink-wrapped software from a major publisher may contain a virus.
5. Obtain software from reputable sources. Downloading a service pack for Windows XP from Microsoft's web site is a very different proposition than downloading a freeware disk utility from a company you've never heard of. Regardless of where you get your software, ALWAYS scan it for viruses BEFORE you execute the program or installer.
6. Scan and then some more. No downloaded executable files should ever be run without a very high degree of confidence that they are virus free. Make a habit of scanning all new possible virus-containing files that are put on your PC over the network. Do not run any programs that are placed into shared areas without scanning them first.
7. Beware of Automatic Downloads. Be careful when using programs that download and run update patches and programs automatically. While in most cases these will not be a problem, having downloaded software run automatically without virus checking exposes you to potential problems in my opinion.
8. You must take the responsibility for Computer virus protection in an office environment as well. Control your network connections. Control access to your computer. Consider controlling access to those who have a need. Fully 80% of damage caused to information systems is caused by action taken (accidental/deliberate) by an employee or friend, rather than, from outside sources.
9. Incorrect use of social networking websites also can cause virus attacks, especially when you are downloading stuff. You must always use proper security and privacy settings provided by the social media websites to protect your computer and your online reputation. This reputation.com review is a good example of how people can lose their online reputation and how much will it cost to repair your reputation.
The smartest and easiest thing to do for Computer virus protection is to buy one of the major antivirus programs - Norton Anti-Virus, Trend Micro, or McAffee Anti-Virus.
The primary benefit of the commercial packages is the frequency and ease of updating the virus definition files that these programs use to detect viruses. With new viruses popping up all the time, unless your protection software is kept updated (daily and automatically), you become ever more vulnerable to infection.
Antivirus software providers like the three mentioned above respond with updates within hours of new viruses and similar threats hitting the internet. If you are using the automatic update features built into these tools, your computer will be about as safe as is possible. Combine that with some knowledge and common sense like what is in this document, and you will go a long way to having a virus free computer existence.
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