Viruses, spyware or malware can really damage your computer system, regardless whether you are a casual home user or a computer administrator in a company. You have to take proper care and take some measures for precaution if you want your systems to be safe at all times.
Computers can be damaged in many different ways. Damages can be small and easily removed, but there are some severe damages that can affect the overall performance of your system and can even destroy your PC. The worst issues can lead to erasure of important data on the hard disc. The following are some tips on how to protect your PC from unwanted damage and how you can improve the system.
1. Powerful software for security.
You should install a powerful and reliable package for software security. Keeping it updated is also crucial, as new viruses, worms and spyware are emerging every day. Quality software packages will increase and strengthen the defense of the system from hacker attacks, spyware, Trojans, it implements many modern technologies, such as powerful firewall, anti-phishing, anti-virus, and it also comes with stronger services for spam filtering. Good thing about having security software is that you can peacefully work on the computer, while the software will constantly do its job in the background, by scanning websites, files, attachments or programs that you use.
2. File sharing.
You should be very careful when sharing things through peer-to-peer service. These sharing systems are ideal places for concealing Trojans and other malware in the programs. A good thing to have in mind is to open only those files that come from a trusted and reliable source that you know. Some file extensions should be definitely avoided, such as those with extensions .bin, .cmd, .dll, .scr, .bat and lnk.
3. Attachments.
Do not open e-mails and attachments that come from someone you do not know. You can set up your software for security to automatically scan the e-mails and attachments as they come. Also, disable the feature in your e-mail program for automatically opening e-mail attachments.
4. Choose a reliable provider of internet services.
This is often neglected, but is also very important thing to do. Not all internet providers offer quality services, so the best thing to do is to go for a provider that implements strong technologies for anti-spamming and anti-phishing. That way you will additionally strengthen the defense of your computer against viruses and other malicious programs.
5. Set automatic updates on your Windows operating system.
By enabling this feature, you can always be sure that your computer is updated with the latest programs and software for prevention of viruses. There are many patches released by Windows that help in fixing glitches and other vulnerabilities. If your system is not regularly updated, your computer system is at greater risk of being infected by Trojans, spyware or malware.
6. Perform a regular backup of the data stored on your computer.
This is one of the crucial things that many people often fail to do. If you regularly backup your important information, you will be in great advantage if something unfortunate happens to your computer, like an infection with viruses. Even if the PC is severely damaged after the attack, proper backup will ensure that you will easily recover all the important files that you need, such as documents, photos, music, movies, etc.
