You might have dealt with a computer virus at least once in your life, haven’t you? And you know the devastating effects of a virus. Computer viruses can potentially damage your computer, corrupt your files, and steal all your data and information.
Without adequate protection, computer viruses are almost impossible to deal with. They are extremely dangerous and difficult to keep at bay as well. And even after an OS upgrade, computer viruses will try anything to find their way onto your computer.
Today, there are potentially endless types and versions of computer viruses including Trojans, keyloggers, ransomware, spyware, among others. Spyware, just as the name suggests, will try to spy on your computer activities. Hackers usually use this type of computer virus to steal identification information. Ransomware, on the other hand, will prevent you from using or accessing some important files in your computer until a ransom is paid. Keyloggers contribute to identity theft and will remember the type of information you type into your laptop or desktop, sending that information to a potential hacker. And this is how cybercriminals get to know your hidden passwords. Finally, Trojans usually provide the pathway for total virus inundation.
Thankfully, there are many ways and techniques through which you can protect your computer against virus attacks. So, today in this post, we are going to discuss top ways to strengthen your computer against a virus attack.
- Install high-quality antivirus software:
This is arguably the best way to keep computer viruses at bay. Currently, there are lots of antivirus applications out there implying that choosing the best one can be a challenge. Most computer users do believe that free antivirus software can offer enough protection against malware and other types of viruses. If you didn’t know, these free anti-malware applications can’t provide adequate protection against the ever-increasing number of possible threats. You will need to install professional, commercial-grade antivirus software on your computer. This is because they usually update more regularly throughout the day hence offering timely protection against all types of emerging vulnerabilities. Consult your local computer technician to help you choose and install the best antivirus program.
- Conduct routine scans:
If you were not aware, computer viruses usually try to evade your computer’s active protective engines and infect your computer at the slightest opportunity. There are always millions of new potential threats that strive to infect your system. It only implies that it is inevitable that some inventive malware will ultimately outsmart your computer’s security and gain access to your computer. It is best to perform daily scans to your entire computer’s hard drive just to add another layer of protection. It is the strongest possible way to detect, isolate, and remove all the threats before they can do much damage to your system.
- Always update your antivirus software:
Most anti-malware computer programs usually need routine signature and database updates to function optimally. And without these essential security updates, they may not be able to protect your computer against the threat of newer viruses. As a Windows user, it is your sole responsibility to ensure that your licenses don’t get expired. This, in turn, offers adequate protection against most recent security threats.
- Always use strong passwords:
There are some types of viruses that are designed to steal your sensitive information including passwords. A strong password is one that features letters, both uppercase and lowercase, numbers, and symbols. You are also advised against using the same password for everything.
- Install a firewall:
Just because you have an antivirus software doesn’t entirely imply that you don’t need a firewall. If you didn’t know, a firmware can detect and alert you of any kind of suspicious activity across your computer network. It can block worms, viruses as well as hackers from trying to download a potentially dangerous application to your device.
- Never click on any links or emails:
As a thumb rule, you should never click on any links, or open an email if you do not recognize the sender. As a computer user, you should never click any email attachments without first scanning them for malware. According to Microsoft, nearly 44.8% of Windows malware infections occur because of the user clicking on something!
- Watch your downloads!
Most of us always love to download lots of files including music, applications as well as movies over the Internet. Unfortunately, it also provides a gateway through which viruses and all sorts of malware to sneak into your computer. You also need to ensure that your browser’s security settings are strong and vigilant enough to detect and prevent unauthorized file downloads.
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