The World Wide Web is home for information and technology. Information and resources are shared easily around the world, thanks to the internet. However, malicious persons have taken advantage of the internet to invade people’s privacy, either to steal personal information or to illegally spy on their activities.
Computer users should endeavor to defend themselves from virus attacks by being proactive in their defense rather than reactive. The proactive measure of protection will help you save time that would have been spent on other important activities. In order to checkmate and prevent computer viruses from ruining your personal life and business, you’ll need to follow these tips.
Avoid downloading programs from unsecured sites
People who like downloading their favorite media items and files from untrusted sites are very much likely exposed to virus attacks than people who don’t. Instead of compromising your computer’s security by visiting these malicious, untrusted sites, it’s advisable to get your software downloads and updates from popular developer sites.
These developer sites are far more accountable and trustworthy than third-party, unsecured sites. They can be held accountable if things go wrong. They also provide a host of other benefits apart from offering or selling their programs to you. Regular updates and patch fixes can be gotten from their sites, and these updates are relatively safe.
Surf the web Smartly and Securely
The internet provides us with information and gives us access to them at our fingertips. Threats lurk around the web, and many unsuspecting users have had their computers infected by visiting sites they shouldn’t have in the first place.
There are lots of malicious ads everywhere online and on many sites. They wait for unsuspecting web visitors to click on them and then insert malware onto their system or redirect them to infected websites.
To help whittle down these threats, you’ll need to install a good adblocker. These adblockers will block unnecessary pop-ups and ads, which safeguards against been tempted to click on any of these ads.
Be aware of the threats posed by opening email attachments
Opening email attachments isn’t a bad thing to do. Important files are sent by our colleagues, family, and friends, and we are expected to download and go through these files. However, malicious people have other ideas about your email attachment. These hackers and malicious persons impersonate people close to you and would do so by infecting your computer with a virus through your email attachments.
Once you click on the email attachment download button, your computer is infected immediately, except you have a strong anti-virus working overtime to protect you. Be wary of any email attachment you can’t verify the source. It may even be safer for you to put a call through to verify the authenticity of such emails.
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Carry out regular backups for your computer files and programs
Conducting regular backups of your important files and programs is one of the ways to combat virus attacks. You’ll need to backup your important files on external storage devices in other to be completely safe. Don’t be tempted to leave your data backups on your computer’s hard drive.
Malware and virus cause lots of problems and can strike without warning. You may not be able to recover your files if your system is infected. Make sure your backups are done externally. That way, you’ll be able to restore your system back to its original state before the virus attack using your backed up files.
Ensure your Anti-virus Program is up-to-date
Anti-virus programs help to safeguard our computers against anti-virus and malicious programs, that’s only when you have installed a genuine, licensed program. Without an anti-virus, our systems are prone to attacks from hackers and other unscrupulous online agents.
Having stated the undeniable facts, it’s one thing to install a good anti-virus program. It’s another to ensure that they remain up-to-date with the latest virus editions and security patches. Many PC owners fail to update their anti-virus owing to their busy activities and schedules. Many people even wonder why they need to keep their anti-virus programs up-to-date.
The thing many PC owners, who fail to keep their security programs up-to-date, don’t know is that threats are continuously evolving. Hackers are changing their virus codes as well as coming up with new viruses, malware to beat the current anti-virus definitions.
That’s why many anti-virus program developers release these security patches and updates to keep up with emerging threats. These update will make your anti-virus program alert and ready to combat and prevent any unauthorized intrusion from the web and other removable media devices.
Scan all external, removable drives before accessing Files
Threats from external devices and drives often go unnoticed by users, owing to the nature of malware and viruses created to utilize them. Often, these malicious programs operate on sleeper mode so as not to arouse attention from unsuspecting users.
These external, removable drives are then shared by colleagues, friends, and family, allowing the virus to spread secretly. They then start to become a nuisance to their host based on the sequences created by their developers. Scanning all external, removable drives ensure that the problem is nipped in the bud and your system protected from threats utilizing these devices.
Conclusion
Despite the importance of the internet with regards to providing users access to information and other valuable contents, it’s also used as a medium by hackers and malicious code developers to attack users. Your privacy and personal online space can be breached if proactive steps are not taken to forestall these attacks.
It is your responsibility to ensure your important data and privacy is secure. You can only achieve your computer security by following the tips and guidelines mentioned above. Not only will it protect your data and information from virus attacks, but it will also ensure you enjoy a seamless experience while doing the things you love online.