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Stop Viruses Before They Start

Last Updated: 2/15/10

  • Besure that you have Anti-Virus software running at all times
  • Be sure that your Anti-Virus software is up-to-date. I recommend that you update your virus definitions at least once a week. I update mine every two days. Having Anti-Virus software that is not up-to-date is like having a gun without bullets. It might make you feel a little safer, but when you actually get attacked it won't do a thing.
  • Get a firewall. A firewall can prevent special viruses, known as worms, from getting into your computer. Recently the Sasser and the Blaster viruses were both worms that firewalls stopped from being spread even worse. There are two kinds of firewalls, software and hardware. For the home user I recommend a hardware firewall in the form of a router with an integrated firewall and / or a software firewall.
  • Keep your computer up-to-date with the latest Critical patches from Microsoft's Update Website. I do not recommend the non-critical updates, because sometimes they cause more harm than help.
  • Keep a close eye on your startup programs. If you see something new and you didn't install anything, remove it from the list. To see a list of your startup programs use Msconfig or Spybot (Advanced Mode)






Keywords: virus security firewall virusesgeneral