All of us have encountered a computer virus or any other sort of malware. Your computer is not responding and all you can do is becoming frustrated and annoyed.
But you can keep your computer safe from malware attacks?
Whenever your computer is not functioning well or showing some malicious activities it means you are attacked by malware, some of the malware is malicious but some are only annoying. You can avoid these annoying situations, if you continue reading you will find how you can keep your computer, or laptop safe from these annoying malicious malware.
Table of Contents
- Top 10 tips to avoid malware attacks
- 1. Install anti-virus/malware software
- 2. Always update anti-virus software regularly
- 3. Run regularly scheduled scans with your anti-virus software
- 4. Always use the current version of the operating system
- 5. Always think twice before you click
- 6.Download from legit web sites
- 7. Keep your personal information safe
- 8. Never use open Wi-Fi
- 9. Keep a back up of your files
- 10. Always use multiple strong passwords
- Related Posts
Top 10 tips to avoid malware attacks
1. Install anti-virus/malware software
This is the most important thing everyone needs to follow, always install anti-virus or antimalware software on your device. I have seen many people who ignore the fact that they need anti-virus for their computers. But I must tell you this is the first step towards the protection of your device.
2. Always update anti-virus software regularly
Installing an antivirus is not the only thing you need to do, you also need to update and install the latest patches too. Microsoft regularly provides the security patches, and these are absolutely free. If you are running Microsoft Windows then you must install these patches once they are released.
3. Run regularly scheduled scans with your anti-virus software
Yes, many of us think, we have installed the antivirus and now we have no responsibility to run scans. We think antivirus will do all by itself. But this isn’t true. You need to run and schedule the scans of your system once a week
It is true that once your system is in the process of scanning it is difficult to work, but there is a solution for this. You can run the scan when you are not working and it will not bother you. But the catch is we often turn off the computer when it is idle, so make an exception and keep your device on while it is on scan mode.
4. Always use the current version of the operating system
Always use a recent and updated version of your operating system, whether you are using Mac OS, Linux, or Microsoft Windows. All operating systems always issue recent security patches and advice all users to install them. Viruses and malware are created every time and that is the reason these patches are released, so keep your OS and antivirus updated and stay safe.
5. Always think twice before you click
When you open your emails or browse any website, you will see links which are very appealing. These are click baits and these links will lead you to websites with malicious content. Never click on a link in an unsolicited email, especially when a URL shortener is used.
6.Download from legit web sites
If you want to download any file, movie or anything, always use legit sites. Illegal sites like torrents websites might add some malware to the document or files and your computer will be compromised. Always play safe and use legitimate and legal websites to download your content.
7. Keep your personal information safe
This is the hardest thing to do today, hackers are always looking for your information. Never share your personal information unless you know the website is safe and use certain protocols. People usually steal your information and gain control of your device and online accounts. Always think before you share anything to keep you and your computer safe.
8. Never use open Wi-Fi
Many people think this is an outrageous and outdated concept, they will connect instantly when they find free Wi-Fi. But trust me this is the last thing to do, never use any free WI-Fi of any local station, coffee shop, or anywhere else. Just think about the fact that if you have easy access, don’t you think the hackers will also have it?
9. Keep a back up of your files
The best thing you can do is backup your data, yes keep your important data in any other device, use cloud storage, or any place where you can access in case your data is compromised. You can use an external hard drive, Google Drive, OneDrive, or your friends compute for the purpose.
10. Always use multiple strong passwords
The worst thing we do is use easy to guess passwords, people use passwords like their DOB, pet name, children names. And above that we use the same login details for all of our accounts, this is a piece of cake for hackers, once they crack your one password your all accounts are gone. The best thing you can do is keep your passwords easy to remember but harder to guess.