Ten Means of Protection Against Viruses and Spyware

As 21st century reigns, computers and smartphones continue evolving and gradually became a necessity on humans’ daily lives– from simply using it for communication to business transactions, job search, making reports and presentations, gathering and storing of information, sending e-mails and plainly for entertainment purposes. According to internetlivestats, around 40% of the world population has an internet connection today. While the number of smartphone users is forecast to grow from 1.5 billion in 2014 to around 2.5 billion in 2019, based on statista.

The numbers above is clearly a proof that computers as well as smartphones play a big role on today’s generation. But of course using and enjoying these technologies to the fullest is not like a plain road that you can easily walk on through, there will be problems every now and then. Thus, the dark side of the digital revolution, the rise of malicious software– Virus and spyware are just two of the many.

Most of us had deal, have to deal and still dealing with them. Like the nervous then turning out to be an annoying yet relieving moment, you thought your files had been deleted but found out that it has been hidden by a virus or the troubling moment that it seems someone or something steals information of yours. Some are light problems but others are heavy– one thing’s for sure, it’s no fun dealing with them. It’s frustrating and annoyingly time-consuming. I bet we all can relate, so here are the ten means of protection against viruses and spyware.

Careful, ALWAYS. Even from the very start.

Never plugin/insert a removable media in your computer ports unless you have clarified them as uninfected.

Removable media can be the carrier of malware that came from other computer it was formerly plugged into. So if it is not necessary to insert an infected one on your computer, might as well opt not to. BUT there are cases in which, it is really significant to plugin a removable media like flash drive because there is an important file you must get (even if you know that, the removable media is infected), in this scenario, second means of protection comes in–

Get an Antivirus/Malware Software.

I am pretty sure everyone installs antivirus/malware software for computers or smartphones, even without anyone advising them to.

This is a-must step in keeping your devices safe. So if you don’t have it, better install one.

It is the first step to ensure that even if you insert different removable media on your personal computer or download multiple files on your smart phone, your installed antivirus/malware software will detect if the inserted media or downloaded files are infected. Then it will eventually do some action to secure the safeness of your device.

Install quality anti-spyware protection.

Ladies and gentlemen, girls and lads– neither having antivirus software with an integrated spyware protection nor getting free anti-spyware applications with antivirus utility, could guarantee a sufficient protection adware, Trojan and the overgrowing number of spyware threats.

Though several anti-spyware programs can detect spyware when they infect a system, a real-time protection from threats can be achieved once you install ‘fully-paid and licensed’ anti-spyware programs, for these professional anti-spyware programs normally are required to prevent infections and fully remove infections that are already present. Since you’re already spending time knowing the steps to protect your devices, why not also spend some money in order to have a sufficient safeguard from potential threats. If you have the money better spend it on things that are useful and can be of your benefit.

On the other hand, for those who think it is not wise to allot money for this, you can always choose a free one– it may not be the best solution, but it is better than nothing.

Be updated.

Keep antivirus, anti-malware and anti-spyware up to date, whether it is free installed or a paid one. These demand regular signature and database updates, without those significant updates, the programs are unable to protect PCs (Personal Computers) from latest threats.

For this reason, users must ensure that these programs stay current to continue providing sufficient protection against the recent threats– lurking and spreading around at an alarming speed. In addition, all Windows users must take measures to prevent license expiration.

Run daily scans.

The sheer number and volume of virus, spyware and new threats escape a particular active protective engine or may outsmart them (security software). On some cases, users are the one who unknowingly summon anti-malware software to allow spyware/virus software to run.

Wherever the infection may begin, running a complete, daily scans on system’s whole hard drive contributes another layer of protection. Daily scan plays an important role in detecting, isolating and removing infections that escaped security software’s attention earlier.

Scan. Scan. Scan.

Whenever you download a new program or any file, make sure that you scan them. Viruses and other malware may affix themselves to these newly downloaded stuffs and unintentionally, you let them in your PC’s system. In order to avoid these threats, make sure that your security software performs a scan first in every downloaded program/file. A good antivirus will do the action automatically.

Have second thoughts before clicking.

Never open an e-mail attachment from a stranger or a company you are not familiar with. Also, stay away from websites that provide pirated materials. Do not click a link from a ‘not trusted’ source or in an unsolicited e-mail.

Safeguard your personal information.

Most hackers may get enough of your information, gain access to your online accounts and dig more of your personal data– these they can execute, not by brute force but via social engineering. They will do these until they get enough information and eventually access important data like, banking data or steal your identity altogether. Safeguarding your personal information mat be the most difficult thing to do on the internet. Regardless, just always be chary on message boards and social media sites– lock down all of your privacy settings and if possible, avoid using your real name or identity and do not mention some personal data on discussion boards.

Always have a back-up.

For worst case scenarios, better back-up all your files from the very beginning. Do not just back-up it once, twice may not still be enough, it is best to have multiple back-ups. One in your PC, another on an external drive, another one from a different removable media and (if you prefer) have also a hard copy of your important files. After all, it is better to be ready and safe than sorry at the end.

Deploy DNS protection.

Domain Name System (DNS) is the internet’s system for converting alphabetic names into numeric IP addresses. For instance, when a user type a web address into a browser, the DNS servers will return the IP address of the Web server associated with that name.

Surfing the internet will open the gates to a wide variety of security risks. One of the most alarming are those compromised websites that disseminate infected programs, applications and Trojan files. Another threat to worry about is the existence of a poisoned DNS attacks, wherein a DNS server leads a user to an unauthorized Web server. Addition to these, is the drive-by infections, wherein users only need to visit hazardous Web pages to get their PCs infected and potentially begin spreading infection to others. Users can protect their vital information by changing the way their computer process DNS services. Although it may need a computer professional to perform such switch. Open DNS proffers a free DNS services that protects users against threats like phishing, spyware and other Web-based hazards.

As digital revolution develops and advances, so as threats, risks and vulnerabilities. In fact according to Dell Security Annual Threat Report– malware attacks nearly doubled to 8.19 billion, while 89% of all cybercrime attacks involve financial/espionage motivations. In addition, Juniper Research foretold that by 2019 cybercrime will cost businesses over $2 trillion.

However, if each of us exert an effort to safeguard our personal computers, smartphones and other devices, then it will not only benefit us individually, but in a bigger context, we all can contribute to the decrease on attacks of risks, threats and other malware.