1.
Email is one of the common ways by which your
computer can catch a virus. So it is always recommended to stay away from SPAM.
Open only those emails that has its origin from a trusted source such as those
which comes from your contact list. If you are using your own private email
host (other than Gmail, yahoo, hotmail etc.) then it is highly recommended that
you use good anti-spam software. And finally NEVER click on any links in the emails
that comes from untrusted sources.
2.
Be careful about using MS Outlook. Outlook is
more susceptible to worms than other email programs, unless you have efficient
Anti-Virus programs running. Use Pegasus or Thunderbird (by Mozilla), or a web
–based program such as Hotmail or yahoo (in Fire fox).
3.
Never open any email attachments that come from
untrusted sources. If it is picture, text or sound file (these attachments end
in the extensions .txt, .jpeg, .gif, .bmp, .tiff, .mp3, .htm, .html, and.avi),
you are probably safe, but still do a scan before opening.
4.
As we all know, internet is the mail source of
all the malicious programs including viruses, worms, Trojans etc. In fact
internet contributes to virus infection by up to 80%. So here are the tips for
safe surfing habits so that you can ward off virus infection up to the maximum
extent.
·
Don’t click on pop-up windows that announce a
sudden disaster in your city or announce that you’ve won an hourly prize. They
are the ways to mislead internet users and you should never trust them.
·
You can also use a pop-up blocker to
automatically block those pop-ups.
5.
USB thumb/pen drives are another common way by
which viruses spread rapidly. So it is always a good habit to perform a virus
scan before copying any data onto your computer. NEVER double-click the pen
drive to open it. Instead right-click on it and select the option “open”. This
is a safe way to open a pen drive.
6.
Most of us use search engines like Google to
find what we are looking for. It is quite obvious for a malicious website to
get listed in the search results. So to avoid visiting those untrusted
malicious website, you can download and install the AVG link scanner which is a
freeware. This tool can become very handy and will help you stay away from
malicious websites
7.
Install a
good Antispyware program that operates against internet malware and spy ware
8.
Install good antivirus software and keep it
updated. Also perform full system scan periodically. It is highly recommended
that you turn on the automatic update feature. This is the most essential task
to protect your pc from viruses. If pc security is your option then it is
recommended that you go for shareware antivirus software over the free ones.
Most of the antivirus support the auto-protect feature that provides real-time
security for your pc. Make that this feature is turned on
9.
Do not use disks that other people gave you ,
even from work. The disk could be infected with a virus. Of course ,you can run a virus scan on it first
to check it out
10.
Set up your windows update to automatically
download patches and upgrades. This will allow your computer to automatically download
any updates to both the operating system and internet explorer. These updates
fix security holes in both pieces of software+
11.
While you download files from untrusted websites/sources such as torrents, ware etc
make sure that you run a virus scan before executing them
12.
And finally it is recommended not to visit the
websites that feature illegal/unwanted stuffs such as cracks, serials ware z
etc since they contribute much in spreading of viruses and other malicious
programs
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