Steps to keeping safe

It is a common attitude among a sizable segment of the computer-using population that viruses are a fact of life. Computer shops have no shortage of business from customers whose computers are infested with so many viruses that wiping the hard drive and reinstalling the operating system is the only solution. It doesn't have to be that way. Good antivirus and anti spyware software combined with a few common-sense tips can save you money and protect your precious data.



The first thing you need to do when you get a new computer or reinstall the operating system is download “the trinity”: antivirus software, anti-spyware software, and a software firewall. All of these can be found in reputable internet security packages.



New threats appear in the wild daily, so don't forget to configure this software to update itself automatically; an outdated antivirus program is just as useless as having none at all. Even the best configured software won't work well if the human running it isn't configured properly. Humans have an advantage over software: an antivirus program can only mechanically respond to threats as they are detected. A human, on the other hand, can see where threats are likely to come from and avoid them altogether. So how do you detect threats so your antivirus software won't have to?



Follow this advice:



EMAIL: As a rule, avoid opening email attachments, even if they seem enticing. Many viruses spread by making it appear as if a friend or family member has sent you a file, often with some plausible-sounding reason. When you open the attachment, you're infected.



THE WEB: Don't download random browser extensions or “free” programs just because a pop-up ad makes an offer. These programs often contain spyware that is a pain to remove. Adjust your browser's security settings to block pop-ups and to ask permission before downloading browser extensions. Another common vector of infection on the Web are sites that purport to distribute cracked software (”warez”) or copyrighted music. People involved in the distribution of pirated software are often involved in the hacker scene as well. They use the lure of cracked software to facilitate the takeover of innocent users' machines.



PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING: Peer-to-peer file sharing applications such as Limewire and BitTorrent have become popular over the past few years. If you download content from these sources, be sure you're downloading from a trusted source. The same cautions that apply to pirated software on the web apply here as well. By following the advice in this article, I have avoided virus and spyware infection and have never had to reformat my hard drive due to an infection. If you take the advice outlined here to heart, I'm confident you won't have to either.

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Information on adware and other such software tools is available from K7

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