TIPS ON HOW TO PREVENT MALWARE FROM INFECTING OUR COMPUTER

Tips on How to Prevent Malware From Infecting Your Computer

1. Install Anti-Virus/Malware Software.

This tip may go without saying, and I almost just casually mentioned it in my                                                        opening paragraph. However, I have seen many computers—especially home                                                  computers—that don’t have anti-virus/malware protection. This protection is                                                          a must-have first step in keeping you computer virus free.

2. Keep Your Anti-Virus Software Up to Date.

Having protection software is the first step; maintaining it is the second. Free anti-virus 

software is better than nothing, but keep in mind that it’s not the best solution. Microsoft

does provide a security package for “free.” It’s free in that if you have Windows on your 

machine, you are granted access, but you did pay for your Windows license. Many
users aren’t aware of this program, but it’s actually decent protection.

3. Run Regularly Scheduled Scans with 

Your Anti-Virus Software.

This too may seem like a no-brainer, but many of us forget to do this. Set up your 

software of choice to run at regular intervals. Once a week is preferred, but do not 

wait much longer between scans. It’s difficult to work on your computer while 

your anti-virus software is running. One solution is to run the software at night when

you aren’t using your computer. However, we often turn off our computers at night, 

and so the scan never runs. Set your anti-virus software to run on a specific night, 

and always leave your computer running on that day. Make sure it doesn’t shut off 

automatically or go into hibernation mode.

4. Keep Your Operating System Current.

Whether you are running Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, or any other OS, keep it up 

to date. OS developers are always issuing security patches that fix and plug security leaks.

 These patches will help to keep your system secure. Similarly, keep your anti-virus 

software up to date. Viruses and malware are created all the time. Your scanning software 

is only as good as its database. It too must be as up to date as possible.

5. Secure Your Network.

Many of our computers connect to our files, printers, or the Internet via a Wi-Fi connection.

 Make sure it requires a password to access it and that the password is strong. Never 

broadcast an open Wi-Fi connection. Use WPA or WPA2 encryption. WEP is no longer 

strong enough as it can be bypassed in minutes by experts. It’s also a great idea to not 

broadcast your SSID (the name of your Wi-Fi network). You can still access it with your 

device, you will just have to manually type in the SSID and the password. If you frequently

have guests who use your Internet, provide a guest SSID that uses a different password, 

just in case your friends are evil hackers.