Developing Good Habits About Virus

People remember their firsts — the first time driving a car, first kiss, first surgery, and first computer virus. (Well, okay, some Firsts are better than others but most are memorable.) In the case of this first, here’s something to keep in mind. .

If you got a computer virus, human error was probably a factor. Somebody probably wasn’t doing something right.

That or you were extremely unlucky.

Nobody’s exempt from human error. You may have opened an infected attachment by Mistake, or missed out on the latest antivirus update. Or your friend who helped set up your computer may have skipped a step or left the wrong default in place. However it happened, you need to discover where the error came from. If you’re like most people, you may be able to safeguard your computer by changing some habits. Those changes take two forms:

Stopping virus-prone habits that put you at risk

Starting some virus-savvy habits that make you less of a target

Having good, up-to-date antivirus software is essential. But there are some other good defensive tools such as firewalls and antispyware. In addition to these nice defensive tools, you may still have some old habits to break and new habits to take up. The first good thing you did was to see my article. Now if you read carefully and take my advice to heart, you’ll be much safer in the long run.

Keeping antivirus software up to date

Antivirus software is of little value if it’s not kept up to date. One of those big-ego computer scientists once said that out of date antivirus software is as bad as having none at all. (Hey, sometimes the scientists are right.) The best antivirus program is next to useless if it’s not kept up to date.

Scan for viruses periodically

Although rare, some viruses can sneak onto a computer without being detected at the time of their arrival. It’s a very good idea to scan your entire computer for viruses from time to time say, once a week.  Chances are your antivirus program can do this automatically for you.

Install security patches

Security patches are fixes that software companies make to protect the computer programs them make from the villains who try to harm your computer. Some patches fix malfunctions that sometimes crop up as a result of flaws in the product. If the flaws make your system vulnerable to hackers, the software maker creates patches that fix those specific vulnerabilities. For now, think about infestation, fumigation, and why malfunctions in computer programs are called “bugs.”

Working on good computer hygiene

In so many ways, it’s a grubby Internet out there. You don’t want to interact with it without protection. Fortunately, there’s a wealth of good habits you can discover and adopt. They can be as effective (and simple) as washing your hands after using the bathroom. Used consistently, they can help keep you and your computer safe.

Blocking malicious network traffic with a firewall

You need one. Everybody needs one. Trust me on this. Like antivirus software, firewalls protect your computer. Their function is to deflect the incoming bad things viruses, worms, and Trojan horses — that antivirus software can’t always stop. Having a firewall can help a lot.

Blocking spyware

If you’re like many of us, it isn’t hard to get into the mood to give your computer a thorough cleaning and I don’t mean with spray disinfectant. Rather, I mean that it’s time to go cloak-and-dagger and check for spyware on your computer.  

Spyware can be a lot of things. In general, it’s software that some Web sites and viruses install on your computer without Your knowledge so some person or company can track your online movements, or even record your keystrokes with a key logger. If it doesn’t bother you that someone you don’t know has knowledge about where you go on the Internet, then you don’t need to know any more about spyware. But we’re not talking Santa Claus here. To think that some total stranger knows about their Internet surfing habits. They don’t have to have anything to hide and most of the time, they don’t. They just figure its nobody else’s business. I’m with them all the way. Naturally, you can (and should) decide for yourself.

Do you have a PDA?

If you have a Palm Pilot, a Pocket PC, iPhone, or any of the other PDAs that are available, you should consider adopting some safe Practices. It’s a small computer, after all, and deserves to be kept as safe as your main computer.