How much time and money have you spent in having your computer repaired because you have become infected with spy ware and viruses?
Spyware , virus’s , malware can be avoided if you follow some simple BEHAVIORAL rules.
Remember if you get infected it is your fault not your computer’s.
The first point to remember is that running antivirus software will not prevent you getting a virus.
Antivirus software is there in the hope that once you have a virus on your computer it will be able to remove it.
Here are 10 points to follow that should mean an infection free computer
NUMBER 1
Update your operating system regularly.
Turn on Automatic Updates on Windows and apply all critical updates immediately.
Check optional updates on a regular basis.
NUMBER 2
Update your software , PDF readers , Office , Flash
Adobe are responsible for numerous infections unless patched
NUMBER 3
Don’t open email attachments unless you know that the person sending it to you ,really sent it.
Viruses will more often than not come from someone you know.
Email attachments are the number one way that viruses , trojan horses and spyware can get onto your computer.
NUMBER 4
Make sure HTML in e-mail is turned off as just by previewing these e-mails you can be infected.
NUMBER 5
Don’t click links in e-mails.
You could be taken to a phising site or 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.
HTML e-mail can hide the actual destination of that link so this is another reason to turn off HTML in your email.
NUMBER 6
You should only download files from places you know are absolutely safe.
The use of file sharing software often means you will download spy ware 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.
NUMBER 7
Have a firewall.
Your broadband router is the best firewall
You should also make sure that in Windows XP , Vista and Windows 7 the firewall is turned on.
There is no need to buy a firewall solution
NUMBER 8
You should browse the Internet with the latest editions of browsers Firefox ,Internet Explorer 8 (IE9) or Google Chrome
NUMBER 9
Switch to a web based e mail program such as G Mail which will scan your emails before they arrive on your computer
NUMBER 10
Have an antivirus solution , the FREE one I recommend is the Microsoft Security Essentials program and the PAID one I recommend is NOD32
These are programs which run quietly in the background without taking over your computer , I do not recommend anything from Symantec , McAfee , Kaspersky as they are overkill and can and do result in slowdown of your computer.
Remember if you get infected it really is your fault.