Installing anti-virus software on your PC is a great way to keep it secure, but sometimes infected files can bypass that layer of security and get into your database without was discovered.
Some people run their PCs with anti-virus software and still manage to get viruses into their systems, while others don’t use an antivirus suite at all and still manage to keep it safe.
Getting your PC infected with a virus also depends on how careful you are.
With that said, prevention is better than cure, and although anti-virus software suites can be an effective tool to fight viruses even if they have already entered your PC, the Taking some precautions will ensure that your device stays safe.
Here are a few ways to greatly reduce your chances of being hit by a virus or malware. Remember, your security depends a lot on how much you really care about it.
Always use an up-to-date browser and operating system
Since most computer viruses these days come from some website that you have visited through your browser, you should always update your browser to the latest version.
No old version of the browser is safe as new types of threats keep popping up on the internet every day and application developers are constantly working to release updates for their apps, This update usually contains a number of bug fixes and security improvements.
Browsers are used for everything from accessing your social media accounts to your bank accounts, and the last thing you want is for some attacker to have a backdoor into your PC, allowing him access. to your keystrokes or credentials.
Stay away from any version of Internet Explorer as this browser has been abandoned by the developer Microsoft and has become a playground for hackers.
New browsers use HTTPS and check the legitimacy of site certificates — a feature not found in older browsers.
You also shouldn’t run a new version of the Chrome browser on an older version of Windows because the older operating system is no longer updated by the developer, and isn’t equipped with the security features to deal with modern malware.
Scan new disks and files
Although cloud-based data sharing services are gaining in popularity and will certainly be the main method of data transfer in the future, they still have plenty of room for USB storage devices to work and until these little things become obsolete, you better keep scanning them before using them.
Avoid enabling autorun on your own USB, memory stick or even smartphone as it’s best to scan before using.
With autorun scripts enabled, malware present on any USB device can instantly access your PC as soon as you plug in the storage device. Windows 8 and later versions allow you to disable autorun.
Not only USB devices, but any files you download from the internet should be scanned for infections.
Pop-ups that ask you to claim a certain amount of bonuses telling you you are the lucky millionth visitor will definitely be ignored, so fake download buttons should be there — especially to be found found on software download sites.
It doesn’t matter the legitimacy of the website involved, users should always be on the lookout for fake download buttons on the website, which often access the platform through advertising banners.
In general, these fake download buttons will not be suitable because they are generic and do not match the theme of the website. These buttons can cause you to download malware or corrupt software.
If you doubt the legitimacy of the site and can’t find the actual download button, consider avoiding its use in the future.
Google provides a report identifying a list of bad websites that you should avoid, or you can check the health of the site with Norton’s Safe Online Web tool. If you have a complete security suite or an internet security suite, your purchase will include this for you.
Other types of pop-ups appear at the bottom right of the taskbar—usually related to anti-virus notifications.
Ignore any messages that may arise when you haven’t started scanning and worry if these pop up without anti-virus software on your PC — don’t worry and start cleaning your PC yours as soon as possible.
Be careful with email attachments
It’s normal for malware and worms to appear as part of a forwarded email attachment, and often appears as a spoofed or phishing email that will try to trick you into revealing sensitive personal information on the Internet. a website that fakes or directs you to download malware — most commonly ransomware.
Outlook and Gmail online clients generally protect you from such phishing attempts because they, more often than not, identify and filter such emails and send them to spam.
Also read: History of Ransomware and how to protect against it.
Desktop users must be careful not to preview emails that appear legitimate — especially generic ones sent to a group at once.
Buying an antivirus with an email scanning module is always a good idea to protect yourself from scammers.
Download software from legal source
You should always download any software — related to office productivity tools or audio and video editors — from the official developer’s website or a legitimate source to protect yourself against every threat.
Visit the developer’s website to make sure you get the latest copy of the software you’re looking for and that it’s safe too.
Most operating systems provide their own app stores that only keep a secure application database, and you should check out the necessary software there if you don’t want to search the web for a legitimate copy .
Eliminate media files that require additional software downloads to run
Occasionally, you may come across a downloaded media file — usually from Torrent services — that won’t play on your regular media player and requires downloading additional software to play them with reason for missing codecs.
Delete them immediately.
These files are not really media files or anywhere close to the media file you intended to download in the first place but just a corrupt fake file which is usually a video file but can also be an audio or game file.
They go undetected until you download and try to run them once, at which point they will ask the user to download certain software to run the file — which is most likely infected with a virus.
You can try playing any audio or video file on VLC, it supports all current codecs and if it doesn’t run it’s definitely a fake file — you’d better not have it on PC.
Also read: How to protect your PC from remote attacks.
Keeping your PC safe doesn’t just stop with downloading an antivirus suite, it depends on your usage and if you want to prevent security risks we recommend following tips mentioned above.
Let us know in the comments section below if there are any other helpful tips we missed.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
