Computer viruses can easily spread through the Internet and email, causing potential harm to a computer’s data, files and hard drive. Viruses are commonly disguised as hyperlinks, pop-ups or email attachments of images, greeting cards or audio or video files. Use the following tips to help keep your computer safe from viruses, hackers and other malicious attacks.
Follow Basic Internet Rules
Don’t open email attachments or click on hyperlinks from unknown senders.
Use your spam blocking or filtering tools to block unsolicited emails, instant messages and pop-ups.
Use passwords that are hard to guess and change them regularly. Do not store user names and passwords on websites.
Exercise caution when downloading files from the Internet. Only download from trusted sources.
Protect Your Computer
Back up files on your personal computers regularly using an external hard drive.
Don’t keep sensitive or private information stored on your computer. If you get hacked, information can be found.
Don’t share access to your computer with strangers and turn off file-sharing.
Anti-virus Software
New viruses are always being created so it is best to have an anti-virus program that automatically downloads updates.
Run a full virus scan every week to detect any threats.
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