I know most of you are looking for ways to cut down on the amount of computer virus problems in your life. I wrote up this short top ten list of ideas that are most helpful in preventing a computer virus from attacking and hope you will find them as helpful as my clients do.
- ALT + F4 is your best friend when you spot something random
- When you press ALT + F4, you instantly close an open window. This can help stop an intruding program before it can attack.
- Remember that antivirus software works similar to the flu shot
- If you do not update your software regularly, you are vulnerable to future attacks.
- Check and Verify
- A friend may know more about the computer than you know, but call an expert when in doubt and verify the right answer.
- Turn off auto pilot
- Do not randomly click on things because of impatience. Read first, and then click.
- Just because a popup says you have a virus, doesn’t mean you do
- Many programs attempt to fool you into clicking them and act upon your emotion
- Know your antivirus software by name
- If you know the name of your antivirus software, you will be less tempted to click on something claiming to be software that you do not have.
- Know your limitations
- If you make the wrong decision, shut off your computer and call for help. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
- Get up to date
- Antivirus software offers virus definition updates; most antivirus programs do not include version updates.
- Keep your firewall hot
- A firewall can help prevent the wrong data from coming into your pc. Check for firmware updates with the vendor.
- Use passwords when possible
- A password-protected pc is a more difficult target.
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Thanks, Jason, for these helpful tips.