How to protect your Computer from Spam And Spyware
Cristiano Ronaldo | Nov 18, 2010 | Comments 0
The web is an astonishing technology that permits each and every person an easy passage to a range of resources and information. Nonetheless, there has been a steady rise in the amount of internet threats such as worms, phishing websites, spyware, spam and viruses that can effortlessly enter into your computer system. As a matter of fact, your PC could already be infected by some of these threats and you may have no clue about it. If you notice the following signs in your PC, i.e. slow processing speed, frequent reboots, deletion of files and uncommon crashes, it could be an indication of virus or spyware infection. In reality, if you do not deal with the issue there are high chances of the PC spreading the infection to other networked computers. The impact of a virus, spyware, worm or spam may range from disabling of the operating system, deletion of files and software crash. The good news however is, there are ways through which you can deal with this menace. But, before undertaking on this task, you need to backup all vital information to external storage devices such as flash pens, DVD or external hard disk.
How to safeguard your computer against internet threats
- Update your operating system on a regular basis: Viruses, worms and spyware are constantly evolving with each passing day. In fact, it is estimated that there are hundreds of viruses that are induced on the internet each day. As such, you need to update your operating system so as to get updated security updates on inbuilt security tools, e.g. firewall and windows defender. These are of importance of you wanted to keep these threats at arms length.
- Install a reliable antivirus: Security tools provided by Windows Operating System are not enough to tackle internet security threats. To adequately protect your PC, you need to install an antivirus application program. These are softwares that have been specially designed to detect and eliminate possible security threats to your PC. Moreover, you need to update the application on a regular basis. Examples of antivirus programs that can safely protect your PC include Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky and Panda amongst others.
- Keep spam at bay: In professional terms, spams are unsolicited emails. A good portion of spam is laced with adware and spyware that are activated when attached documents therein are downloaded. To steer clear of spam mails, first and foremost, you should not provide or post your email address on every website that you visit. Secondly, need to install a spam guard, i.e. software designed to filter mails that come though your email server.
Avoid sharing storage devices: Auxiliary storage devices such as flash disks are mediums through which viruses and spyware can be spread. To avoid falling victim to virus infection, implement a USB guard application that automatically scans any USB device that is inserted into your PC.
Filed Under: Identity Theft
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