Computer viruses have been a thorn in all of our sides at some point in time. Whether the viruses you’ve dealt with have all been fairly minor or you’ve been unlucky enough to match wits with large-scale malware, such cyberthreats are always a pain to get rid of. As such, it behooves every one of us to take preventative measures against virus infection. In addition to keeping our computers safe, bolstering our digital defenses stands to save us a tremendous amount of time, money and hassle down the line. Anyone who’s ready to stamp out computer viruses once and for all will be well-served by the following pointers.
Installing Dedicated Antivirus Software
When taking the fight to computer viruses, there’s no greater ally than dedicated antivirus software. Reliable antivirus software will work in cooperation with your operating system to shield your computer from a vast array of viruses, malware and other digital dangers. Furthermore, it’s important to understand that your operating system’s built-in cybersecurity features are not meant to serve as a substitution for dedicated antivirus software. As effective and convenient as these features are, they’re intended to complement antivirus software, not take its place. So, if first-rate antivirus protection is what you’re after, there’s no way around investing in dedicated software.
Updating Your System and Apps in an Expedient Fashion
In many cases, virus attacks come about as a result of security vulnerabilities. That being the case, there’s little wonder as to why so many operating system and app updates are designed to patch such vulnerabilities and provide users with additional protection. Unfortunately, many of us have an unfortunate tendency to let important updates pile up. Since the installation process for certain updates can be mildly cumbersome, we often set them off to the side and tell ourselves that we’ll get to them at a later date. However, in doing so, we fail to realize that the longer we put updates off, the longer our computers remain vulnerable to a vast array of threats. For this reason, it is imperative that install both system updates and app updates as they become available – not days, weeks or months down the line. You can also save yourself a great deal of hassle by simply enabling automatic updates for your apps and O.S.
Using Security-Focused Browser Extensions
One’s browsing habits can have a direct impact on how susceptible they are to virus attacks. For example, habitually visiting sites with known security risks is liable to result in virus infection and leave you vulnerable to many other cyberthreats. In addition to avoiding sites that trigger security warnings, make a point of utilizing security-focused browser extensions. These include ad blockers, script blockers and privacy protectors. Since viruses are commonly spread through ads, ad blockers should be a particularly important component of your cybersecurity apparatus.
Running Regular Threat Scans
Some viruses can remain undetected for long periods, and by the time their presence is discovered, a significant amount of damage may already be done. To help ensure that no virus is able to fly under the radar, make a point of running at least one system-wide threat scan every 24 hours. These scans can be carried out through your operating system or dedicated antivirus software. In fact, if you want to be extra-thorough, why not run separate scans with both? Additionally, these scans typically eat up very little system memory, so they shouldn’t impede any other tasks being performed on your computer. As such, there’s no harm in running multiple scans per day. If you’re not keen on the idea of manually signing off on every scan, you can easily schedule scans to automatically take place at various times throughout the day.
It seems like every breakthrough made in the field of cybersecurity portends several breakthroughs in the field of virus development. With virus developers working around the clock to find ways around assorted defenses, none of us can afford to take the threat they pose lying down. This means taking preventative measures against infections, thereby ensuring that our computers remain virus-free for the foreseeable future. So, if you’re primed and ready to preemptively take the fight to computer viruses, simply put the previously discussed tips into practice.
