Invest in Antivirus Software for Safer Surfing

Advertising feature. The Internet is a tool that has changed our lives and, without doubt, the way that most of us communicate. Unfortunately, it has also greatly facilitated the spread of computer viruses. But is there any way to combat this threat? Investing in antivirus software may be the answer.

A virus is a malicious computer program which can cause absolute chaos to whole networks of computers at the same time. The effect of a virus differs depending on its intent: whether it was created to modify, delete or steal data or to cause real destruction to a hard drive.

Other more sophisticated viruses are designed to allow their creators control over your PC. This enables them to hack into your computer and access your information.

The term computer virus was coined because the viruses share some traits with biological viruses. A computer virus passes from one computer to another, for example, in much the same way as a biological virus passes from person to person.

A computer virus must ‘piggyback’ on top of another program or document in order to attach itself. Once it is running, it can then infect other programs or documents. Viruses can be opened in emails, attack through downloaded files or simply appear when you access a website.

Virus creators always have tricks up their sleeves so that users will open their files. With viruses like Trojan horses, for example, they hide them within a harmless-looking file such as a picture of a celebrity. This makes it easier for the malicious software to be installed onto a computer.

There are many different types of viruses being created all the time. The Worm is a particularly nasty type, because it can replicate and spread itself over an entire network. They can also sit on your machine for months or even years before being triggered at a certain date or time to wreak havoc. Worms are becoming increasingly common and are among the biggest troublemakers on the Internet.

After reading this, you will probably never want to turn on your computer again, let alone open any files or emails! As more and more of these viruses are changing and becoming more advanced, the need for protection has become that much greater.

But don’t despair, as there are many reliable versions of antivirus software out there which you can download to maximise the security of your PC. Even better, there are many different versions of free antivirus software that you can download to protect your computer against malicious threats without incurring any cost.

There is also good news for Apple Mac users, as they have slightly less to worry about; in terms of viruses, there aren’t so many floating around which target Macs. That isn’t to say that things won’t change, however. Recent reports have seen more and more cyber criminals turning to the Mac platform as more people begin using it than ever before.

As this trend is likely to continue, it is recommended that you invest in some Mac antivirus software to protect against the threat. Antivirus software for Mac is in limited supply, but there is still plenty to choose from.

Mobile phone-based viruses are also new. Many antivirus software developers are addressing this threat with new mobile antivirus products that can run on your mobile.

Depending on how much money you spend on PC antivirus software, you will get various extras that offer additional protection. Whichever method of antivirus software you choose to invest in, however, they will all still work on the same basic principles.

Antivirus software is designed to keep your PC free from the malicious computer viruses and worms mentioned already. This is done by scanning your PC’s files for known viruses; if one of these is detected, then the software will inform you of the situation before taking steps to remove the threat.

Good antivirus software will also automatically check any files being transferred to and from your computer, and at a minimum should scan all attachments on incoming emails (even if this option has been disabled).

There is one thing that you must remember about PC virus protection: hackers are developing new bugs all the time, so it is important to regularly update your antivirus software. If you don’t download the new versions, you won’t be protected against the latest dangers.

Most antivirus companies release weekly updates of their databases to help keep you safe. Your antivirus software uses these weekly updates, also known as virus signatures or definitions file, to identify newly discovered viruses.

If you scan your computer with a definitions file which is out of date, the software may not detect a problem lurking in the background. A good way of making sure nothing slips through the net is to set up an ‘on-demand’ scan. This will see your virus scanner checking through all your files on your hard drive once a week with all of the latest updates. You can’t be too careful with these crafty viruses!

It is also important to get your virus protection from a reputable company; where would get your updates from if the company went bankrupt in six months time?

Having antivirus software installed on your computer may not keep you 100 per cent protected against every virus attack, but it will certainly protect you a lot better than if you didn’t have it at all. You can enhance your protection even further by having multiple antivirus software products and by always remaining vigilant online.

As well as having antivirus software installed on your computer, you can also take steps to protect your PC against attack. This can be as simple as being on guard when opening unknown email attachments, only downloading software from known websites and keeping your logins different for lots of sites. Taking these precautions will help to keep your computer protected against malicious threats and viruses.

So long as computer viruses change and evolve as rapidly as they do, there will never be a program that will be able to cure everything, but you can certainly still go a long way to keeping yourself safe.

Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk