10 Steps To Follow For A Malware - Virus Free Computer

How much time and money have you spent in having your computer repaired because you have become infected with viruses and malware ?

Infection from virus’s , malware can be avoided if you follow some simple BEHAVIOURAL rules.

Remember if you get infected it is YOUR fault not your computer’s.

The first point to remember is that just running antivirus software will not prevent you getting an infection but it may help.

Antivirus software is there in the hope that it “may prevent ” you getting an infection and once you have virus / malware on your computer it maybe able to remove it.

Here are 10 points to follow that should mean an infection free computer.

NUMBER 1 – Update

Check for updates for your operating system on a regular basis
Turn on Automatic Updates on Windows and apply all critical updates immediately
Check optional updates on a regular basis , they can in some cases trigger critical updates.
Microsoft issue updates throughout the month so check on the third week – you can find Windows update in the control panel for pre-Windows 10 computers or in settings on Windows 10
Windows 10 will ensure that updates are done – updates not working , you maybe infected

NUMBER 2 – Software

Update your software – run modern versions such as Office 365
PDF readers , Office , Adobe Flash & Adobe Reader and Java are responsible for numerous infections unless patched
If you can , uninstall Java and Adobe

NUMBER 3 – Email

Don’t open email attachments unless you know that the person sending it to you , really sent it.
Viruses and Malware will more often than not come from someone you know.
Email attachments are the number one way that viruses , trojan horses and malware can get onto your computer
Beware of zip files – do not open them unless you are 100% certain they have been sent from a known reliable source – these can spread cryptolocker
Don’t click links in e-mails.
- You could be taken to a phishing site and this may lead you to install malicious software.You should copy and paste the link into your browser or type the link into your browser.
Make sure HTML in e-mail is turned off in Outlook as just by previewing these e-mails you can be infected especially if your computer is not fully patched.
HTML e-mail can hide the actual destination of that link so this is another reason to turn off HTML in your email.
Switch to a web based e-mail program such as Gmail / Outlook.com which will scan your emails before they arrive on your computer.
Gmail is probably the best solution on grabbing spam if you are having spam issues with your current email provider

NUMBER 4 – Browsing The Internet

You should browse the Internet with the latest editions of browsers Google Chrome , Edge , Firefox , not Internet Explorer ( Microsoft don’t want you to use it )
Check that the updates for these browsers are being installed and learn how to check that you have the latest editions
I recommend Google Chrome

NUMBER 5 – Ads On Websites

Block ads when browsing the internet – Ads on websites have been known to infect visitors to those sites
Install Adblock from the Google Chrome store

NUMBER 6 – Downloading Files

You should only download files from places you know are absolutely safe.
The use of file sharing software often means you will download Malware and Trojans without knowing.
If you download files you should quarantine them in a folder and then scan them a few days later with an updated antivirus software.
Beware of downloading ” Free ” software as most sites that host ” free ” software are a hotbed for malware infections

NUMBER 7 – Firewall

Have a firewall , your broadband router is the best firewall and there is a built in firewall with Windows which is turned on by default – There is no need to buy an additional firewall solution

NUMBER 8 – The Antivirus

Have an antivirus solution , the FREE one I recommend is Defender for Windows 10 which comes with Windows 10.
However Norton , Trend are just fine to use

Number 9 – What You Can Do

Limit User Privileges
Many malware threats need full access to your PC to run properly.
Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, use User Account Control to limit what a program can do without your permission.
This means you will be notified if any software or application tries to make any changes to your system. It can also help stop malware and unwanted software from installing themselves or changing the way your PC works.

How Do You Do This ? – Change User Account Control

Number 10 – Behaviour