Computer infection preventions……

Firstly what is a Virus? In general a threat to your computer or data is classed as a virus.  You may have heard of words like: 

• Malware – software threat 

• Virus – transportable infection, bit like the flu 

• Worms – leave tunnels or backdoors to access your computer 

• Spyware – allows people to track your use of the computer them spam you with marketing 

• Trojan – copycat program that releases all the above onto your computer 

So for instance if you receive an email or pop-up with a web link; hover the mouse over that link and see where that link/address is leading you to.  If it’s an address you don’t recognise then delete the email or close the pop-up.  

Also don’t reply to spam emails as then you are confirming that they have sent to a working email address and you will then be on their list to receive more spam. 

What to do if infected.  If you have opened an email or clicked on a pop-up, don’t panic.  

• DO NOT do any online banking or send files/emails as you may be passing on the infection. 

• Run your anti-virus scan on your computer. 

• Book your computer in to an expert to check it over “just in case” as a precaution. 

Preventatives to keep your data safe.  Data is ultimately the main concern people have and you should do the following regularly to keep your computer up to date: 

• Run Windows updates 

• Run updates for your anti-virus software 

• Weekly/Monthly backups 

• Check that your backups are working  

• Run regular virus scans – this can be automated by your anti-virus software  

• Remove any Tool Bars added - these cause unnecessary problems 

As always you shouldn’t hesitate to speak to your local computer store.