Dear Clients:
I have been seeing a lot of pretty tough viruses lately. They are getting more and more clever and the anti-virus software seems to be losing the battle at this moment in time. The clever thing about the viruses I've encountered recently is that they are designed so that it is very difficult for you to use the tools to eliminate them or prevent more from coming in.
Here are some tips about how to defend yourself against viruses.
1. Install some kind of virus protection on your computer or on your network. - Whether you have a Macintosh or a PC computer, you are vulnerable to viruses. If you have a Windows computer, you are definitely much more likely to get a virus, or some kind of spyware. Using some type of antivirus is a must. It is true Apple computers have much less market share than Windows computers, so they haven't had much trouble with viruses, but it is probably only a matter of time, as they become more and more popular, that they too will have to contend with viruses. Why not be ahead of the game and have some antivirus already installed when that day comes?
2. Have a router or firewall installed on your network. - Even if you have only one computer on your network, you should have some kind of hardware firewall that keeps your computer safe from hacking. The best way to do this is just to get a simple router. I recommend Linksys Routers, but there are many other kinds that can be obtained cheaply. If you have a wireless network, chances are you have one of these routers already, but if your computer is plugged directly into a modem, your computer may be sitting directly on the internet waiting to be attacked.
3. Keep all of your installation disks and licenses for everything. - If your computer is compromised by some kind of malicious attack, you can never be sure that it is completely out of your system, unless you do a complete clean install of your entire operating system and software. This can be time consuming, but it is much more time consuming and costly, if you don't have your software licenses and original software. The most important of these is the original disk that comes with your computer.
4. Back up your important data. - The most important, irreplaceable data on your computer are the things that you create, whether they be documents, photos, artwork, emails, music, financial records or whatever you have generated. Make sure you have a backup of this data. Onsite backups and offsite backups can be critical to keep this important, irreplaceable information. The next important items are the things you've bought or collected. This is everything from bookmarks, to software licenses to music.
5. Be careful where you surf and what you click on. - This applies to emails as well as surfing on the web. Don't click on anything unless you are absolutely sure of the source. If it sounds like a scam, it probably is. Know the difference between a pop-up window on the internet and one on your computer. Often times websites will try to imitate the error messages on your computer to trick you into downloading something destructive to your computer. Also emails will arrive in your inbox with either a malicious attachment or a link asking you to log into your account or download something. The scams are too numerous to mention here, but when in doubt, don't click. Investigate first and be absolutely sure.
These are a few things you can do to protect yourself. If you have any questions, you need one-one-one training, anti-virus or backup, feel free to call me or email me.
Best,
Joel Marshall
www.supportusmaximus.com
310-592-5848
Remote Support Anywhere in the World:
http://www.crossloop.com/supportus
