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Fighting Viruses On Your Computer

by: PaulWilcox
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Viruses can be annoying and they can be extremely destructive, however they can be fairly easy to prevent. If you have an anti-virus program running at all times on your computer, as well as take great care in opening email attachments, odds are your computer will remain virus free.

The majority of viruses are transmitted through emails. Unfortunately it's not enough to trust emails only from addresses you recognize. Many email viruses actually will email themselves to emails found in your own address book. This means that an email from a "safe" address could actually contain a virus. You should discard any emails which you don't recognize the sender, and always virus scan attachments from those that you do.

If you don't currently have anti-virus software running on your computer your data and entire computer are at risk. If it is cost you are worried about, it is no excuse. Most anti-virus programs will run anywhere from free to $50.

Anti-virus programs work by looking for virus signatures. When you receive any file the software will scan it and alert you should it find a virus signature. Most allow for full system scans at your request or at a scheduled time when you won't be using your PC. When a virus is found most software will give you several options, such as delete or quarantine.

It is vital that you keep your anti-virus software updated. While virus signatures, or coding patterns, are very similar, they do change and if you don't have an updated program a virus may sneak by undetected. Most programs will update their databases automatically or alert you when an update is available.

While anti-virus software is the best protection against viruses, it's not always perfect. Users should take great care when adding files to their computers, via email, downloading, or even CDs and DVDs. Anytime you are taking files from an external source and transferring them to your hard drive you run the risk of also transferring a computer virus. You should always virus scan any files before adding them or immediately after if need be.

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About the Author

Worried about identity theft and other types of internet threats? Find out how to set up solid internet security so you don't get attacked on the net. Get more tips and information at http://www.securitymanor.com  

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