All of us, at some point in our lives, have been victims of computer virus attacks. When we surf the Internet, we sometimes get carried away and visit sites that look suspicious. As humans, we have the tendency to explore interesting and exciting websites, without analysing the repercussions. Just as the saying goes, “Curiosity killed the cat,” we should take precautions while satisfying our curiosity. To protect your electronic devices such as laptops, desktops, mobile phones and tablets, only visit websites that you are familiar with. You should note that a virus spreads when you download an infected file or boot an infected disk. So, make it a point not to download suspicious files that you receive in your e-mails. As far as possible, do not open e-mails from unknown sources.
Before surfing the Internet, always ensure that your laptop or desktop has the latest anti-virus program. Many consumers install anti-virus programs on their computers but fail to update them on a regular basis. Every day, new viruses are created. And by updating your system on a regular basis, you will be able to keep the latest viruses at bay. With the latest anti-virus program, you should conduct a scan of new software packages and any e-mail attachments you are planning to open to confirm that they are free of viruses.
Just like how a viral attack can deteriorate our health, a computer virus can deteriorate the performance of our laptops, desktops and other mobile devices. In extreme cases, our systems may collapse. Purchasing a new laptop or repairing an infected laptop is not only time consuming but it is also expensive. So, it is better to take precautions beforehand by installing an anti-virus program and updating it regularly.
Viruses are not the only programs that may cause harm to computers and mobile devices. There are other malicious programs that you need to look out for, including worms, Trojan horses, and logic bombs. Clean your computer on a regular basis by scanning for such malicious programs.
Also, do a complete back up of your system once a week. This way, you will not lose precious data even when there is a virus attack. The best way to clean an infected file is by replacing it with a non-infected file. So, conduct scans frequently and remove infected files as quickly as possible to prevent viruses and other malicious programs from taking over your computer.