|
|
|
|
How To Discover And Protect Your Computer From Boot Sector Viruses, Spyware, and Adware
by Gregg Hall If your computer is convinced it does not have a virus, when, in fact, it does, there can be problems. Especially when the reason it does not think it has a virus is because of a virus. What kind of virus could do this? Boot sector virus. Considered evil and difficult, boot sector virus's lodge in your boot sector (the part which "boots" your computer), and as soon as you turn your computer on, the virus has already loaded itself into the memory.
You can take precautions to try to prevent boot sector virus. The best way to do this is to switch your operating system from Microsoft Windows, if that is what you're currently using. Windows is one of the only systems, which are commonly infected by viruses. This may be due to faulty programming doings. An example of faulty programs, is demonstrated when you have an e-mail with an attachment, and it is automatically opened, and the instructions of the attachment are followed, regardless of what they say. That is a significant way viruses are put in computers.
If you are using Microsoft Windows, you may want to consider switching to either macs or linux machines, as they are rarely infected. They both contain built-in safeguard to protect your computer from the above-stated problem, which will help keep your computer virus-free.
If you did not prevent the virus, and have it, removing the virus can be quite tricky, but the best way to go about it, is to make a back up disk. The reasoning is that if your boot sector is contaminated by the virus, and your computer is loading off the boot sector, it is loading off the virus. If, however, you put your clean, virus-free disk in the drive, your computer loads from that, instead.
Along with boot sector virus removal, your computer might need a few other protection precautions, such as spyware and adware protection.
Spyware is far less harmful than viruses, but similar. It does much of what the name implies: spies. Web cites with spam, they can plant a program to your web browser, which will track which websites you visit and what you buy and such, and send that information back to them, so that they can use it to market things to you. In effect, you will receive more pop-up windows and slow down your computer.
Similar to spyware, adware can divert your web browser, which will send you to web sites you didn't intend on visiting. It, in turn, will prevent you from reaching the site you did intend to visit.
There are several adware and spyware removal programs to help keep your computer safe. Install these programs to your computer, and you will find you computer running faster, less pop-ups, and more control over what is going on in cyber space. Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as Anti Virus Software at http://www.anti-virus-software-plus.com
|
|
Why It Is Crucial To Keep Your Anti Virus Software Updated To Keep Your Computer Safe
by Gregg Hall As computer systems grow more complex and people who love computers learn more about them, it makes sense that one could say it is getting harder to protect your computer every day. You should always be prepared for viruses, as even corporations find themselves with a computer virus on occasion.
The Internet has greatly changed the way viruses spread. It used to be that viruses were only transmitted via floppy disks. Most computer users were aware of the virus threat, and would scan floppy disks before copying them. And if they didn't scan them, it was simple to locate and destroy the few viruses that were successful. It would take awhile before a virus could infect and affect a computer and its system, and even then, Antivirus software could usually locate and destroy viruses before too much damage was done.
With its conduit, the Internet changed everything. Prevention is uncertain, because some viruses can spread without human intervention. They can manipulate vulnerabilities in systems or programs. They can enter and attack through multiple entry points. They have evolved from "only via floppy" to through e-mail, peer to peer file sharing, software downloads, instant messaging, e-mail attachments and things of that nature, and they can spread from computer to computer in mere seconds.
There are viruses which send themselves to people from you without you knowing it. As technology increases, and computers converge, so do the endless possibilities of the next type of threat to your computer.
Even with all these threats, there are ways to protect your computer. As virus possibilities increase, so do antivirus software capabilities. In fact, and luckily, antivirus software has kept pace with current virus threats.
Antivirus programs are essential to your computer. Your computer needs to be able to protect itself and fend off viruses. Antivirus software is well designed to protect the various routes of viruses; be it email, browsers, file servers or desktops.
Rest assured, there are precautions you can take to help protect your computer from virus threats, by doing things such as upgrading your system, using trustworthy programs, scanning your computer, using caution with unknown sources, and making back ups.
Stay up to date! In the past, having one or no antivirus program was acceptable, but with the new viruses, you need to make certain that you have protected your computer in a multitude of ways (as the viruses now can attack in a multitude of ways). Protect your computer from desktop to network and from the server to the gateway. Use a comprehensive security system with several features, such as: antivirus, firewall, intrusion detection, and content filtering. Doing this will make it difficult for viruses to attack your computer.
As new viruses come out often, keep up to date on your software. Configure your software's real-time scan feature to start automatically each time you boot up your computer. This checks your computer every time you use it. Also, always scan new files and programs!
When opening Word or Excel documents from unknown sources, be careful. This goes double if it came from an instant message or from an email. If all precautions fail, and you end up with a virus, the best you can do is make sure that you have everything on your computer backed up. It will be the only way to recover your data, if the data was lost or corrupted due to a virus.
Keep your antivirus software updated, use caution when opening files or downloading, and backup your data. If you do all this, you will be at a lower risk for any virus attacks, and you will not regret it. Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as Anti Virus Programs at http://www.anti-virus-software-plus.com
|
|
|
|
