Preventing Computer Viruses

Computer Viruses are nasty programs that can get into your computer and wreak havoc. If you get a particularly nasty virus, you can end up paying some pricey computer repair bills. The computer technician will most likely wipe your computer clean. You may even lose important personal data, or in the case of a business, business records that are important to the company. So what preventative measures can you take to prevent a computer virus? Read on to discover some of the easiest things you can do to prevent headaches and costly bills.

The most obvious answer is getting virus protection. This is probably the best advice anyone can give for protecting your computer. Free programs are available, and with the right combination of free software, your computer can be relatively safe. However, updating all of these programs can become a hassle, and they are not always high-quality software. Non-expert computer users may even overlook certain security problems and neglect to download important free software they need. For these reasons, buying a good antivirus program is the best thing you can do for preventing computer viruses.

The best antivirus program on the market is Norton AntiVirus. Norton AntiVirus 2009 is maintenance free, which means that you don't have to pay any attention to it. It scans your computer while you're not using it, such as during bathroom breaks or when you receive a phone call. It downloads updates when they are available. It also does not slow down your computer very much, which means you can work normally while it runs scans. The software costs around $40 per year, but it is well worth it. Norton AntiVirus contains a firewall. If you purchase a different program, make sure a firewall is included in the software.

The next thing you can do to prevent viruses is use common sense. Don't click on ads that appear in new windows, and don't click on ads that claim to give away expensive items for free. They are likely to give you a virus for free instead of the product that you expect to receive. Also, LimeWire can give you viruses. Avoid downloading anything from LimeWire or other file-sharing networks.

Learn how a virus can infect and affect a computer. If you know how viruses infect computers, you are more prepared to defend against them. A virus can infect a computer when you go to any website, if the website is not a "good" website. You can even get a virus when you are simply connected to the internet. You don't have to be using any online applications. You probably won't even know your computer is infected. To know if a virus has infected your computer, it helps to know how a virus affects a computer. A computer with a virus usually boots up very slowly, and is slow to perform once it is turned on. Computers with serious virus infections may not fully turn on. These heavily-affected computers might show a blue screen for a very short time, then restart.

Finally, sites with "adult content" are prone to give visitors viruses. They also can start a stream of spam to your email account. It's not only a good idea to stay away from these sites to prevent viruses, but they are also morally incorrect. Steering clear of them helps you and your computer.

To review, the steps to prevent viruses are get virus protection, use common sense, learn about viruses, and avoid "adult content". Take care, and stay virus-free.