It would probably be hard to find someone who’s never had to deal with a computer virus, even if they don’t own a computer. No one is surprised when they hear that a big chain store has had customer data stolen. Instead, after we go through the hassle of changing passwords (again!) and checking all of our accounts, we wonder who was behind it. A government? International criminals? A ten-year-old in Eastern Europe?
Well, there isn’t much anyone can do about that sort of problem (except pay cash for everything), but there are a few things that can be done to protect our personal computers. It’s impossible to prevent all virus attacks, but there are precautions that help.
* All antivirus programs are not alike. Business-grade (or pro-grade) antivirus updates much more frequently, offering much stronger protection. Free programs are often worth less than you paid for them. The ‘free’ program may also arrive with some really annoying pop-up friends that will be very hard to get rid of.
* Anti-spyware should not be an afterthought. There are a few decent free anti-spyware programs, but most aren’t very effective. Anyone who has tried to remove adware, for example, has discovered that it is buried deep in their system while it spawns pop-ups, changes home pages and slows down their computer. It’s far better to prevent spyware infections from every reaching the computer by using a licensed, professional anti-spyware program.
* Keep antivirus and anti-spyware programs current. Viruses can spread rapidly, infecting up to 300,000 web sites a day. Enable daily scans to detect anything that managed to sneak in.
* Pay attention when surfing. Unless you manually reached a web page, don’t enter any personal information.
* When downloading anything (and when in doubt, don’t download), uncheck all of the boxes for the ‘add-ons’. One unwanted toolbar or other ‘freebie’ can override many of the settings you prefer. You won’t like the ‘new look’.
* Use a strong firewall. Businesses and IT folks use hardware firewalls, an actual metal box. Software firewalls are generally used in homes. Be sure it’s running and not disabled.
It your computer crashes or is acting ‘weird’, BLH Computers is the place to go for computer repair in Alsip IL. They also offer reconditioned laptops and desktops at very low prices. Ask the guys who do computer repair in Alsip IL for their recommendations on the best antivirus and anti-spyware programs.
