Tips for Protecting Your Computer and Network System From Viruses

If you've ever had to deal with the aftermath of having a particularly nasty computer virus, you know that it's a good idea to try and prevent any further infiltrations of your system. At the very best, computer viruses can be annoying and can cause you some difficult in accessing files on your computer. At the very worst, computer viruses can hack into your system and steal your identity, or cause a complete crash of your computer system.

While almost no system is completely foolproof when it comes to avoiding computer viruses, there are things that you can do on your home system or your office system to help make sure that you greatly reduce the risk of picking up a computer virus.

· The first rule of making sure that your computer remains as virus-free as possible is finding a good anti-virus software. Many types of anti-virus software update automatically and can be downloaded for free for your home system. For office computer systems, you may need to upgrade to the professional version of the software that you choose. You can easily research the different types of anti-virus software downloads online, so it's a good idea to make sure that you find a program that is going to meet your needs. A good anti-virus software will be able to be updated to keep up with new viruses that are out there, and won't use too much of your computer's memory to run.

· If you don't recognize the sender of an email, don't open the email. Email is one of the easiest methods of transmitting computer viruses. Even if you do recognize the sender of the email, if it isn't very specifically personalized and just shows a link, don't open the link. Sometimes email boxes can be hacked to send out spam emails that transmit viruses or spyware to other systems. If you get a suspicious email from someone that you know, make sure that you check it out before you open the attachment, and that you let your contact know that they are inadvertently sending out emails.

· Consider adding filters in your internet browser that can help to filter out harmful sites or sites that have a bad reputation. Filters and ad blocks can also help to make sure that you don't get constantly harassed by pop up ads or other types of ads.

· Work with legitimate companies with regards to software or downloads. For example, if you need electronic document management software, make sure that you work with a legitimate company with a good reputation.

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