Computer viruses are one of the most annoying problems of the modern digital age. Often created by computer coders with too much time on their hands, these bugs can be quite troublesome and can destroy valuable in
formation stored on your computer. There are a number of anti-virus software programs available to help you monitor any possible infection, but prevention is always better than the cure. There are a few ways you can make sure you lower your chances of contracting a computer virus.
- Be careful who you communicate with
The creators of many of these viruses typically live online and search the web looking for susceptible ‘targets’ which they can send their viruses to. If you are talking to someone online for the first time, don’t give them any pieces of personal information such as your email address or the type of computer you use. Thankfully the majority of people on blogs and social networks are helpful and friendly, so if you suspect someone is sending out viruses ask for advice from a number of different sources and report any guilty user to the relevant authorities.
- Take care when downloading files
The majority of files that people send typically use mainstream programs such as Word and PowerPoint to work. This means that the file names should end in standard suffixes such as .doc, .ppt, .xls or .com. If someone sends you a file that ends in an unusual suffix that you do not recognize, such as .js or .vbs, you should exercise caution as the file itself may not be safe. Delete any such emails or files immediately and, if you do not know the person that sent it to you, block them from your email and your networks.
- Avoid sharing disks
Occasionally files on disks and USB keys can become corrupted through excessive opening and editing. When this happens, opening the file on your computer and sometimes lead your computer to crash and become inoperable. In order to prevent this, try to avoid sharing external data storage devices with multiple users. If someone you know has a file that you really need, give them your own data key to download it onto that you know is clean and uncorrupted.
- Be careful which sites you use
Although the vast majority of websites are safe and secure, there are certain sites online that are less well known that are breeding grounds for computer viruses. Once a user arrives there, they are instructed to click on certain links or banners and are suddenly infected with some sort of virus. Luckily, mainstream search engines such as Google have powerful search algorithms designed to eliminate these sites from the results pages, so make sure you use one of these when you are browsing for data online.
- Maintain security when making payments
Although not technically a computer virus, many programmers can set up a dummy payment page that consumers are directed to when they shop online. This page allows them to see the person’s payment details as they are entered into the computer, which they can then steal. To avoid this, make sure any payment page you are on has ‘https’ at the beginning, rather than the standard ‘http’.
Following these guidelines should help ensure your safety online and prevent your computer from coming down with a virus. In the next article I will write about how to use your fax if you do a lot of metrofax email faxing, and other online fax related work.
Rich Text AreaToolbarBold (Ctrl + B)Italic (Ctrl + I)Strikethrough (Alt + Shift + D)Unordered list (Alt + Shift + U)Ordered list (Alt + Shift + O)Blockquote (Alt + Shift + Q)Align Left (Alt + Shift + L)Align Center (Alt + Shift + C)Align Right (Alt + Shift + R)Insert/edit link (Alt + Shift + A)Unlink (Alt + Shift + S)Insert More Tag (Alt + Shift + T)Toggle spellchecker (Alt + Shift + N)▼
Toggle fullscreen mode (Alt + Shift + G)Show/Hide Kitchen Sink (Alt + Shift + Z)
FormatFormat▼
UnderlineAlign Full (Alt + Shift + J)Select text color▼
Paste as Plain TextPaste from WordRemove formattingInsert custom characterOutdentIndentUndo (Ctrl + Z)Redo (Ctrl + Y)Help (Alt + Shift + H)
Computer viruses are one of the most annoying problems of the modern digital age. Often created by computer coders with too much time on their hands, these bugs can be quite troublesome and can destroy valuable information stored on your computer. There are a number of anti-virus software programs available to help you monitor any possible infection, but prevention is always better than the cure. There are a few ways you can make sure you lower your chances of contracting a computer virus.
Be careful who you communicate with
The creators of many of these viruses typically live online and search the web looking for susceptible ‘targets’ which they can send their viruses to. If you are talking to someone online for the first time, don’t give them any pieces of personal information such as your email address or the type of computer you use. Thankfully the majority of people on blogs and social networks are helpful and friendly, so if you suspect someone is sending out viruses ask for advice from a number of different sources and report any guilty user to the relevant authorities.
Take care when downloading files
The majority of files that people send typically use mainstream programs such as Word and PowerPoint to work. This means that the file names should end in standard suffixes such as .doc, .ppt, .xls or .com. If someone sends you a file that ends in an unusual suffix that you do not recognize, such as .js or .vbs, you should exercise caution as the file itself may not be safe. Delete any such emails or files immediately and, if you do not know the person that sent it to you, block them from your email and your networks.
Avoid sharing disks
Occasionally files on disks and USB keys can become corrupted through excessive opening and editing. When this happens, opening the file on your computer and sometimes lead your computer to crash and become inoperable. In order to prevent this, try to avoid sharing external data storage devices with multiple users. If someone you know has a file that you really need, give them your own data key to download it onto that you know is clean and uncorrupted.
Be careful which sites you use
Although the vast majority of websites are safe and secure, there are certain sites online that are less well known that are breeding grounds for computer viruses. Once a user arrives there, they are instructed to click on certain links or banners and are suddenly infected with some sort of virus. Luckily, mainstream search engines such as Google have powerful search algorithms designed to eliminate these sites from the results pages, so make sure you use one of these when you are browsing for data online.
Maintain security when making payments
Although not technically a computer virus, many programmers can set up a dummy payment page that consumers are directed to when they shop online. This page allows them to see the person’s payment details as they are entered into the computer, which they can then steal. To avoid this, make sure any payment page you are on has ‘https’ at the beginning, rather than the standard ‘http’.
Following these guidelines should help ensure your safety online and prevent your computer from coming down with a virus. In the next article I will write about how to use your fax if you do a lot of metrofax email faxing, and other online fax related work.
Path: