Viruses, Trojans and Malware… Oh My!

By: Brandon Thatcher, Director of IT

There are several different anti-virus programs out there and many claim to be the best solution for your needs.

Anti-virus programs don’t always work; many users neglect to keep them up-to-date with the latest virus definitions. Some of the definitions aren’t going to catch all viruses due to the fact that new ones come out or different forms of a virus come out nearly every day. The people creating these malicious apps are finding ways of tricking people into installing them. Before you know it your system is running extremely slow, you’ve got so many popups you can’t seem to navigate around them and all you want to do is login and check your email.

The best way to keep your system clean from these nasty little infections is to educate yourself on how they are contracted in the first place. Here are some Best Practices to follow to help lower the chances of getting malicious software on your system and lowering the potential damage they can cause.

Best Practices

• Backup your data regularly. Anything that you deem important, throw it on a separate drive or have it routinely backed up to your favorite cloud-based storage solution.

• Know what attachments you’re opening. If you receive an email from someone you don’t know and it contains an attachment, or a URL, it’s best not to open the attachment or visit the URL contained in the contents of the email. These attachments can contain Viruses, Trojans, or Malware. The URLs can direct you to infected websites that can auto launch the installation of the malicious software. Play it safe, delete the attachment and enjoy the rest of your day.

• Install an Anti-Virus program and keep it up-to-date. Find an Anti-Virus program that has good reviews and that you feel comfortable with. Couple Google searches and you will have a list of Anti-Virus programs to choose from. There are many out there and something is better than nothing.

• Be aware of what you are installing or being prompted to install. Infected websites can launch the install process for the apps and disguise themselves as being legitimate anti-virus programs and trick the user into installing them. Once installed they can be very difficult to remove completely.

• Keep your system patched. Whatever operating system you are running keep it current with the latest security updates that the manufacturer releases.

If you are vigilant, you should be able to keep your system running as good as the day you brought it home.