Eight Security Practices To Prevent Viruses On Your Computer And Other Devices

Computers, laptops, tablets and mobile phones – these are some examples of gadgets that can be easily infected with different malwares. These programs can do a lot of damage on your computer’s system and can even go as far as permanently deleting your files. A lot of people have been dealing with these malicious programs for a long time and continue to do so today. Harmful as they are, there are a lot of ways on how you can protect your computer and other gadgets from such hazardous software. Given below are eight computer practices you should remember to do to avoid Trojans, worms, spyware and other malicious programs:

  • The most basic thing-to-do to protect your computer from viruses and Trojans is to install antivirus programs like AVG and Avira. Do not just download and install any other antivirus applications. Make sure you use only the secure and professional programs such as the two mentioned above.
  • Scan your computer daily. Do not start using your computer until you have finished scanning for viruses, spywares, etc. If there are any, make sure that the antivirus isolates or removes these programs. Also, scan any equipment you attach on your computer like your memory stick, external hard drives, and even your mobile phone.
  • A lot of people do not like setting up their computer or laptop’s firewall. However, it does provide a good amount of security measure for your computer. Basically, a firewall is a set of programs on your computer that prevents users from accessing suspicious or malicious websites and programs. It also prevents any other unsecure data or connections from coming in to your system.
  • Some viruses and spyware come through your email as attachments and downloadable files. If you are not expecting an email from anybody, do not open it. Some email addresses, especially those computers that are not protected with antivirus software, are infected with a virus and the email attachments may be infected as well. Before opening the files, run it first on your virus scanner.
  • Most importantly, avoid entering unsecure and suspicious websites. A lot of websites are not secured and are developed by unlicensed developers. These sites may not have the same level of security as other known and trusted sources. Going to these sites might compromise your system.
  • Update your computer, laptop and even mobile phone regularly. These updates will improve your phone’s system including your security programs that blocks malwares from entering your devices’ systems.
  • Watch out for rouge security software. The term is unfamiliar to most people, but you may have encountered it already. These are usually pop-up prompts or messages that inform you that your computer is infected with a virus. It usually appears like: “Warning! Your computer is infected. Protect your files by downloading this Fixer application”. The message usually varies and makes it look trustworthy and legit. What happens though is that after downloading the ‘security program’, you will notice that some of your browsers such as Firefox and Explorer will not open. Instead of protecting your computer, the rouge security software will introduce the virus to your computer without even knowing it.
  • Last but not the least is to back up your files all the time. Virus, Trojans, and worms can compromise your files and can sometimes delete them permanently. Back up your files on your memory stick or on a cloud program like Dropbox or Google Drive.

Following these security practices to protect your devices could be time consuming. But, all of these will give you safety precautions when accessing the Internet. Most of our gadgets today are using the Internet. From tablet computers, phone systems from companies like RingCentral, to the latest LED TV’s all of these use a technology that can be potentially dangerous to any device.

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