Install the latest Antivirus Software on all your computers and never disable them. Popular antivirus softwares include Kaspersky, Bit Defender, Nod32, Antivir, Grisoft AVG and Quickheal. Also install a personal firewall and an anti-spyware solution. Popular firewalls include Antivir, Grisoft AVG, Quickheal, 3Com and Sonicwall.
Update antivirus/ anti-spyware/ firewall at least every 15 days. Carry out a complete system scan with your anti-virus at least once a week, or better, auto-schedule it to run every Friday.
There are a few free online antivirus scanners available at Trend-Micro, Kaspersky and F-Secure.
Don't download or open attachments from unknown senders. Even if the sender is trusted, ensure that the content is relevant. Even non-executable files like *.doc files can contain macro viruses and Trojans. There are some dangerous programmes called worms, which don't need human interaction. You can be infected by simply opening an e-mail or by visiting a Web site and that's it. So always stay alert. Avoid opening e-mail attachments that contain .vbs, .scr, .exe, or .pif file extensions. Files that end in these extensions are most likely to contain some sort of viruses.
Latest Web browsers such as Firefox, IE 7 & Opera offer innovative new security features, so it is necessary to update old browsers to their latest versions.
Never download any files especially executable files over P2P sharing networks (peer-to-peer), as you can never be absolutely certain as to what they really are. P2P file sharing programmes can lead to the installation of a lot of adware and spyware. Try downloading executables from authentic and well-known Web sites; don't download files from any random Web site. |
