Computer Viruses Infection Prevention and Protection Guide
How viruses possibly get into my computer? How to prevent my computer from infection by viruses? These are two popular questions which many people frequently asked me. These are good questions. It is a good idea to know how to prevent before something bad happen. You will able to answer to these questions after reading the following explanation:
How Viruses Get Into User Computer?
There are many types of computer viruses as well as possible means that viruses can get into your computer (especially if your computer has no anti-virus program installed or has poor antivirus program or the out of date one). Read more to see what possible means are:
1. Data Storage Devices
The nature of viruses is that it can replicate itself and attach to file or program. Since data storage devices like flash drive, external hard disk and memory card are very popular today. Viruses can easily copy themselves and spread from one computer to another through these storage devices. To get clear, see the following example.
Example, Max uses USB flash to copy some documents from his friend computer (his friend computer already infected by viruses). When Max insert USB flash drive to the computer, most viruses will immediately copy itself to the flash (it is fast, you cannot even see the process because virus is very small executable file). After inserted his flash, now it contains the viruses. Max computer is easily infected by viruses in his USB flash if there is no effective antivirus installed in his computer.
2. E-mail Attachment
Another popular mean that viruses can spread themselves into many computers (can be millions) around the world is through E-mail Attachment. As E-mail is very popular and useful for daily life, many people are using it. Many virus creators see that it is a great mean and opportunity to spread their viruses using E-mail. Let see real life experience how viruses can get into user computer through e-mail attachment.
Example of this, Back to the year 2000 the virus name as ILOVEYOU infected millions of computer world wide and causing $ billions in damages. The virus was sent as an attachment to an email message with the text “ILOVEYOU” in the subject line. By opening the attachment, the virus sent a copy of itself to everyone in the address list of the user. This virus also made malicious changes to the computer system.
Now you can see how it is easily infected by viruses through e-mail attachment. So in order to protect your computer from infection, I have one tip for you: Never open any e-mail attachments unless you know where that emails from and what is inside it.
3. Using Internet
Nowadays, internet becomes more and more popular from day to day. You can find information, solution, having fun, learning, and even make money by using internet. Instead making internet a better place for users, some mean people using internet to spread their viruses. To protect your computer from infection, we need to know how they spread viruses. Let see how:
A – Visiting Website Contain Viruses: virus can get into your computer by just visiting a webpage which contains virus. Some people not even know that, the process is simple and nature. But there are solutions for this. But first I want you to kwon more in-depth about it. If I ask you who put the virus into that webpage? You can easily answer it: the virus developer or some mean people who developed that website.
Yes you are absolutely right, but it just one side. If we look at another side: we see that some website owners also become victim of viruses (they are not the one who put viruses on their site but hacker did). Because their server is hacked which make their websites infected by those viruses and also become the website that spread viruses. To stop spreading viruses, some websites were blocked as attacked sites by Google when you view in Firefox web browser.
Now instead of caring about who put viruses on the websites, the solution is main thing you have to know. There are two things you need to do:
- Using antivirus software which has web shield feature, this feature will check for viruses to ensure your computer is protected when you are surfing.
- Using Firefox as web browser (it is free, secure, easy to use web browser and also the most popular one). Firefox will block websites which contain viruses and show a message tells you that the website is block as attacked site. Firefox it my favorite internet browser and I am using it as default browser.
B – Downloading Files or Programs which Contains Virus: some bad guys are intend to spread viruses by putting them as package with useful file (including music, video, picture, e-book) or program (including software, game) for people to download. Many cases are happing especially for someone who downloading file or program from pirate download sites including torrent website. It becomes a target for virus spreading because those websites are place where people sharing and download almost anything for free (it is illegal).
Here are some tips for you to protect your computer from infection by viruses for download something on the internet. (1) Never download file from website you never know unless you can trust about that site. (2) Never download any things from torrent websites.
How to Prevent Your Computer from Infection by Viruses?
After reading above explanation, I believe you got some ideas about how viruses get into user computer and some tips on preventing your computer from infection. And now, you will see more detailed on how to prevent your computer from infection by viruses. To prevent your computer from becoming a victim of viruses you need to:
- Have an effective antivirus software program installed in your computer and always keeps it up to date by updating it. You can click here to read more about update antivirus software guide.
- Never open any e-mail attachments unless you know where that emails from and what is inside it. In some case, e-mail attachment from your friend also contains viruses.Example, your friend computer is infected by viruses or worms which automatically send e-mail attachment to all address in the list. If you are in that list, you will get one. That e-mail is not actually sent by your friend, but viruses did. So what is the solution? The solution is that you need to use antivirus software which has e-mail scanning feature. The program will perform checking when you open attachment file and alert warning message when it found any virus or suspicious file or behavior.
- Using Firefox as web browser (it is free, secure, easy to use web browser and also the most popular one). Firefox will block websites which contain viruses and show a message tells you that the website is block as attacked site. Firefox it is my favorite internet browser and I am using it as default browser. You can download it here Firefox Download Page.
- Never download file from website you never know unless you can trust about that site. And never download any things from pirate download site and torrent websites because most of files out there are illegal and many of them contain viruses.
I hope you enjoy this guide and get some ideas on how to protect your computer from viruses infection.
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