As the old adage goes: "An ounce of prevents is worth a pound of cure". This is particularly true when it comes to implementing preventative measures on your computer. There are several basic steps that any computer user can take to help keep his/her computer free of viruses, spyware, trojans, and other types of malware. Most of these things can be done at little or no cost. Doing the things listed below will save you hours of time of attempting to rid your computer of malware. We have put to together a list of our "Top Things" that every computer user should do to help protect their computer. Over time, we will expand on the list.
Top 10 Ways to Protect Your Computer
| 1. | Automatically Update Your Operating System. There are concise instructions found at the Microsoft website on how to configure this. If you are using Windows Vista, we suggest that you click here. If you are using Windows XP, you will need to have Service Pack 2 installed on your computer. |
| 2. | Install and Update Anti-Spyware Software. Spyware is increasingly one of the more serious threats to any computer system. Because of this, it is important that your computer is properly protected against this threat. If you use Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2, you should install Windows Defender available here. If you use Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows Defender is built-in; so, there is no need to download any software. To learn how to configure Windows Defender, click here. Our experience has shown that it is possible to run two anti-spyware programs at the same time without issue. If you are interested in finding another anti-spyware program to run alongside Windows Defender, please review our Products section for additional software options. Unlike anti-spyware software, running two antivirus programs or two software-based firewalls can lead to problems. |
| 3. | Install a Pop-Up Blocker. Most browsers have some pop-up blocker functionality. In Internet Explorer, you can find it under the Tools menu option. In Firefox, goto Tools, Options, Content (tab). At minimum, you should configure your browser to block pop-ups. If you want added protection, you can also download a Google toolbar. To get one for Internet Explorer, click here and for Firefox, click here. Yahoo also offers a toolbar that helps block pop-ups. To get one for Internet Explorer, click here and for Firefox, click here. Also, many antivirus suites offer pop-up blocker functionality. |
| 4. | Install and Update Antivirus Software. |
| 5. | Update all other remaining software. A lot of software auto-updates itself. For software that doesn't auto-update itself, you will have to update it manually. More often than not, you can update most software by opening the program and going to the Help menu. There, you may see something that says, "Check for Updates" or something similar. If you don't see the manual update there, then check the other menu options. |
| 6. | Install a firewall. Many antivirus suites come with firewall functionality. Some users find configuring these firewalls cumbersome. For those of you, it is advised that you consider installing the Microsoft Windows Firewall. This is built-in to Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Microsoft Windows Vista. If you are comfortable configuring software, there are reportedly some more robust options available. Please review our Products section for additional software options. |
| 7. | Perform Regular Backups. |
| 8. | Remove unwanted software. |
| 9. | Ignore "Phishing" Attempts. Please review our section on Phishing. In short, you should not open email from senders that you do not know. In the event you do open the email, you should not click on any of the hyperlinks within the email - even if the email appears authentic. Most phishing emails do look authentic. Most importantly, under no circumstance should you give up your banking information (ie , credit card #s, routing #s, etc...) or your online UserIDs (or Account Numbers) and Passwords (or PINs) based on an unsolicited email. You should exercise the same caution when dealing with unsoliticited phone calls. |
| 10. | Turn-off Your Computer. Hackers can not a hack a computer that is not turned-on. So, when you are not using your computer for an extended period of time, it is best that you turn it off. Additionally, this is the "Green Thing" to do. To go one step further, unplugging anything electrical that you are not going to use it on a regular basis will save you money and help the environment. |
