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These simple tips will
help you stay virus and spyware free, even
if you're connected to the internet 24 hours
a day.
1. Protect
yourself
Good protection on the Internet these days
consists of 3 components: anti-virus
software, anti-spyware software and a
firewall.
Good virus protection doesn't need to
cost you a fortune. You can get excellent
free anti-virus software at
www.grisoft.com. Even the professional
version of their software is very
affordable.
For spyware protection, go to
www.lavasoft.de and download Ad-Aware SE
Personal, also free. This will zap the most
common spyware and adware found on
the Internet.
As for a firewall, Windows XP ships with a
decent enough firewall. Just make sure it is
always enabled. Alternatively you can visit
a site like www.download.com and search for
Zone Alarm, which has an excellent free
version.
The most important thing to keep in mind is
that you need to keep your anti virus
software up to date. An anti-virus
program that uses definitions that are
months old is just about useless.
Update your anti-virus and
anti-spyware software at least once a
week.
2. Stop
opening every attachment you receive !
Most of the devastating worms and viruses
of recent times were distributed via email.
These viruses feed on the curiosity
and also the ignorance of a huge number of
email users. People will get an email from
fakename@weirdsuspiciousdomain and they'll
just open whatever file is attached to
it.
If you don't know the sender, don't open the
attachment - just delete it. It doesn't
matter if the subject promises you'll see
Britney Spears dancing nude on the kitchen
table, just delete it
If the email is from someone you know,
always scan any attachments first before
downloading or opening them.
If every email user in the world followed
these simple guidelines the distribution of viruses
via email will grind to a halt.
3. Stay
clear of pornographic and illegal software
sites !
If you want to pick up viruses and spyware
quickly, visit some pornographic web sites.
One wrong click on a subtle little pop-up or
security warning window (which you'll run
into often on these type of sites) and
you'll have infested yourself with trojan
horses, spyware, dialers and other
unfavorable software that could leave your
computer wide open to further attacks.
The same goes for web sites distributing
software, serial codes and cracks illegally
(warez).
Simply put - keep out of the dark side of
the web and the odds of keeping your
computer clean shifts decidedly in your
favor.
4.
Watch out what you download !
Spyware is embedded in a lot of
software on the Internet - especially those
related to ripping, converting and playing
music and videos. That free MP3 player or
DVD Ripper you just downloaded may have
installed a bunch of harmful spyware
without you even knowing about it.
5. Keep
yourself informed.
Major anti-virus software developers
like McAfee
and KASPERSKY
update their sites regularly with
the latest virus alerts. Visit these sites
frequently to keep yourself aware of what
threats are doing the rounds and how to
avoid them.
Using these simple and software I have kept
my computer virus-free for the past 2
years. It's not rocket science. Just stay
alert, use some common sense and you too can
stay bug free while still enjoying your
Internet experience.(read
how to choose the best Spyware Blocker)
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