Top Ten Tips - Keeping Your Computer Clean
By Tip Diva | Dec 20, 2007
Categories: Advertising, Adware, Antivirus, Cheap, Computer, Downloads, E-Mail, Firewall, Free, Freebies, Freeware, Internet, Malware, Operating System, Safety, Scams, Software, Spyware, Tips, Web, Websites
Over 1.2 billion computer users worldwide are connected to the Internet, according to Internet World Stats. Many of these users are victims of viruses, hackers and malware. However, by keeping your computer clean and protected, you do not have to become one, and here’s how:
- Make Sure You Have Adequate Virus And Malware Protection - Many computers come with anti-virus and anti-malware (infiltrating software, like spyware) programs already installed, but by subscription only, such as McAfee and Symantec. If you want free and effective virus and malware protection, Tip Diva suggests you download the following programs: AVG Anti-Virus, Spybot Search & Destroy and Ad-Aware. You may see others advertised online that claim to be effective anti-virus or anti-malware programs, but are deceptive. Check out Spyware Warrior for more on rogue programs.
- Keep Your Computer’s Anti-Virus And Anti-Malware Programs Up-To-Date - Tip Diva cannot express this enough. Set your programs to automatically download updates and keep you protected from the most recent threats. If you have a subscription-based program, make sure that your payments are up-to-date.
- Check Your Computer For Viruses And Malware Frequently - You can also schedule most anti-virus and anti-malware programs to autmatically scan your computer for any problems. Tip Diva usually runs hers once a week.
- Keep Your Operating System Updated - Set your operating system so that software is automatically updated. This is important, especially for fixing security holes.
- Make Sure Your Computer Is Behind A Firewall - Make sure your computer is behind a firewall, which acts as a barrier between your computer and the Internet. For more, check out this PC World article on firewalls. You can find lots of different firewall software at Download.com. If you use an Internet browser, tweak both privacy and safety settings that unsafe content and Active X controls are not downloaded without your pemission.
- Never Download Attachments From People You Don’t Know - If you receive an e-mail with an attachment from someone you don’t know, do not download it. This is one way viruses are spread. Also be wary of attachments from people you do know. If you receive an e-mail from someone you do know, and the e-mail seems out of the ordinary, do not download it. Check out common extensions of attachments containg viruses. E-mail or call the person and ask he if sent the attachment; many viruses automatically send out e-mails to recipients in a victim’s address book.
- Read License Agreements Carefully - If you install a program on your computer, read the end-user license agreement (EULA) carefully, and see if extra “bundled” software is included with the program, including browser toolbars. Many times, these programs are adware. Opt-out of the bundled software if you can; if not, think twice about downloading the program. Some actually don’t work unless you download the ad-supported software.
- Beware Of Pop-Ups Telling You Your Computer Is Infected - You once may have been browsing a website when a pop-up appeared and looked like a Windows warning. It says something along the line of, “You’re computer is infected! Click here to scan and clean it!” This is not a legitimate warning window, only an advertisement that will prompt you to download “cleaning” software that is actually adware or malware. Just click on the X and enable pop-up blockers on your browser - most updated browsers now have that option.
- Be Extra Careful On Peer-To-Peer Networks - If you download via a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, such as Kazaa or Morpheus, beware that these networks are prime for virus and malware distribution. Be extra careful in what you download, and beware of common extensions containing viruses, as mentioned above.
- Avoid Warez, Crack And Porn Sites - Warez (lingo for pirated software), crack (software installation codes) and porn sites are ripe for trojans, viruses and other drive-by downloads. Some will make you download malware in order to browse the site. Don’t do it. Your computer will become infected, and you will have a difficult time cleaning up the mess you created.
How do you keep your computer in tip-top shape?
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It is always advisable to ask for an AMC periodically for a full health check up of the computers.