How Can I Keep Viruses Off My Computer?

If you’ve ever had a virus on your computer (and most of us have at some point) then you will know how much of an annoyance that can be.

Not only can it make your computer go haywire, a virus can also be extremely hard to remove.

Of course, having a good antivirus program will go a long way in preventing viruses and other types of malware, but how can you avoid situations that could compromise your computer system in the first place?

10 Antivirus tips

10 Tips For Keeping Viruses Away From Your Computer

The following is not an exhaustive list and is just a brief overview at this time.

Check back regularly for more on each of the following points -

Disable the Autorun feature if you use Windows – recent viruses, such as Conficker, exploit this in order to infect computers via flash and USB storage devices.
Maintain your operating system – always install service packs, patches and updates as soon as they become available to you.
Use a different password for every system that you use, be it different computers or websites. Make sure that password is effective and don’t forget to change it regularly.
Never click on links (on websites or in emails) unless you trust them completely. Links can easily be disguised so verify the source before following them.
Don’t give away too much information on social networking sites – it can be used against you in socially engineered attacks.
If you store personal and sensitive information on your hard drive then secure it with a password or utilise some sort of encryption.
Ensure you have an antivirus program installed but don’t forget that you will also need a firewall too for extra protection.
Always keep said antivirus program fully up to date with the latest virus definitions.
Be aware that wireless access points are insecure – only connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot if you completely trust it’s security level.
Are you aware of the trouble with torrents? They are often deliberately mislabelled and can pose a huge threat to your system’s integrity.