24 February 2011
Long gone are the days when hackers were only adventurist IT students trying out their skills naughtily and for free. Today, spyware and virus authors are in it for the money and make that as their livelihood. They hijack computers to send spam, steal identities and finances online.
With so many of us now heavily reliant on our computers and the internet It is now more urgent than ever to protect your system, files and personal data against spyware and viruses.
Data can be lost when a hard drive fails, not only due to viruses but also because of general wear-and-tear
Update Your System
Enable automatic updates if you are using Windows. Many viruses spread by using flaws on the operating system so that regular installation of updates is a must. Enable and install updates regularly, especially for applications which you use regularly such as your web browser and office suite.
Check Before You Download
Download files only from sites which you know to be safe. So-called “warez” sites which offer free or pirated copies of applications are notorious for spreading malware and other nasties.
Be Wary of Attachments
Do not open or better yet, delete outright unexpected attachments, many malwares spread via email attachments and countless companies and individuals are caught out by this classic trick on a daily basis.
Use a Router
A good router also acts as a firewall to add a shielding layer between your computer or network and the web by dropping unrequested connections. Many worms which may initiate unwanted connections can be blocked by a firewalled router.
Backup Your Data
Seems obvious but so many people and businesses rely on the sole hard drive in their machine. Data can be lost when these hard drives fail, not only due to viruses but also because of general wear-and-tear, natural calamities and frequent power outages so always have a backup on disc, tape or another system.
Install and Update Anti-virus Software
You are asking for trouble if you do not have this. Some of the free ones may even be better than the commercial ones. And make sure your anti-virus program is set to automatically update so that it can stay ahead of the new viruses. McAfee, AVG and Eset among others all provide a comprehensive (and sometimes free) anti-virus software which is perfectly adequate for most home and business users.
Only Install Trusted Software
Microsoft and Adobe are some of the most commonly recognised trusted sources of software. Other relatively unknown names may be malware sites. Also, do not install software which you really have no plan of using at all.
Beware of Unknown Emails
Some sites pose as financial institutions and may ask you to verify your identity but in reality are only out to get your personal identification details and passwords.
Avoid Clicking on Ads
Some pretend to be ads but are actually malware.
Be Careful What You Attach to Your Computer
An infected USB flash drive is a common agent in propagating viruses (many corporate networks strictly forbid the use of USB flash drives for this very reason). If it is not your USB, exercise caution before just sticking it into your computer. Has it come fro a trusted source? Do you know what to expect to find on it?
Create a Complex Password for Login
A hacker will find it more difficult to attack your computer if you have a complex password. A complex password is one which has letters, numbers, symbols, lower and upper cases. All too often we see people using either their name, their kids or pets names or part of their address as their passwords which is just asking for trouble.
Protecting your computer from spyware and viruses by using a combination, or even all, of the above gives you the best possible chance of keeping your files and documents safe. Data recovery experts like Kingdom Data Recovery can, and do, rescue files and information from even the worst infected systems, but many of these cases could so easily have been avoided in the first place.
