In this day and age, our computers are our lives. They are our keepsakes, they hold our memories, they run our businesses, and they direct our social lives. Therefore, one of the absolute worst things that can happen to you in today’s society involve somebody either hacking your computer, or having it loaded up with malware. And we Windows users, being the most widely used operating system, have it the worst. So before you click on that advertisement link, before you open that questionable e-mail, and especially before you try out that mysterious software, make sure that you know how to keep your computer safe.
..But what’s “malware”?
Malware goes by many means, but the most common and “mainstream” one out there that you have probably heard of is simply a computer virus. Basically malware/computer viruses are anything that is meant to disable or change settings on your system without your consent. The danger of it varies greatly. Some malware like adware may just be some junky toolbar software attempting to promote their product, whereas deadly spyware or keyloggers serve the purpose of stealing your online banking information. Others still, are simply out there to inflict mass damage among their victims, varying from hard drive dumps or causing their users to re-install the Windows operating system. As scary as these consequences seem though, there are a few easy tips to keep this malware from causing you harm.
Don’t Overdo It
Okay so every Windows PC emphasizes the importance of having some sort of malware protection software on your computer. Therefore, it seems only logical that the more software you use to protect yourself, the safer you are. Unfortunately though, this is not the case, and in many situations, the opposite is true. Antivirus software, even the best ones, tend to use quite a bit of system resources, and having multiple AVs installed can seriously reduce the performance of even some of the most powerful machines out there.
Pay Attention to File Sizes
This is something very basic, but for whatever reason people still fall for this trap. When downloading a file, think about what the approximate size is. So if you are downloading a song online, it should be several MB depending on the length and quality of the music file. However, if you see that the file is something like 300 KB in size, you know that it is extremely undersized and not what you want, and more likely, a computer virus. Contrary to popular belief, computer viruses themselves are extremely small files. For example, it’s possible for just about anybody to code an extremely deadly virus in batch in about 10 minutes with the right knowledge. However, this virus will be coded within a few lines of a Notepad file, and will end up being extremely small. This is not to say that if you are downloading a larger file you can just go crazy though. Viruses can easily be embedded in with larger files to corrupt them. However, using common sense when looking at file sizes before you download can save you a lot if something seems fishy.
If You Have a Virus, Don’t Freak
It’s often more dangerous to have a scared user desperately trying to remove a virus than whatever damage it could really do to you or your computer. In fact, a lot of malware anticipates the fear that people get when they see that they are infected, and uses tricks to make it even worse. This is why you will often see all kinds of fake pop-ups that want you to install “helpful” security software, which is really just more malware. The best thing to do if you notice you are infected is to update your antivirus software and do a full system scan, which will probably take quite a bit. If you still have a problem, go post about your problem on an online forum that deals with computer issues or security problems. If possible, do this from another computer. Make sure that you clearly describe the problems you are having and what you have already attempted to fix them. Often times the experts you will find online are more than willing to help you out, and have probably seen you exact problem before and know just what to do in order to fix it. Don’t just go around randomly deleting files or installing questionable programs, no matter what those scary messages that keep popping up tell you.
Picking Out Antivirus (AV) Software
One of the best things that you can do to protect yourself from malware is by having antivirus software installed on your computer. There are two routes you can go with this- free or paid. The advantages and disadvantages are exactly what you would expect of each. Free antivirus software offers the benefit of not costing anything, whereas paid is generally safer, better, and ad free protection at a price. Personally I would recommend paid antivirus software such as Kaspersky Internet Security, which costs about $60.00 a year. To me, that price is definitely worth all of the precious documents, photos, etc. that I don’t want corrupted. If you decide to go the free route however, there are still some great options out there such as Avast. Ultimately though, no software is as valuable as being smart online.
Avoiding Malware Altogether
The best thing that any computer user can do to protect them is by simply not allowing that problem to happen. Often, malware problems can be avoided by making sure you play it safe online. There are a few key ways of doing this that will prevent some of the common roots of malware from infecting your system.
The first is your music. Everybody knows about the huge problem that piracy has in the music industry these days due to the internet. Unfortunately, so do the black-hatters that code computer viruses. People are constantly finding their computers loaded up with malware because they blindly downloaded dozens upon dozens of songs, not paying attention to the dead giveaway factors such as file size. The best way to avoid this is by simply purchasing your music from a legal, yet still inexpensive source such as iTunes. However, I’m going to assume that the reason you aren’t using iTunes is because you want to legally download free indie artist music. In this case, make sure you are paying close attention to file size, scanning everything you download before you open and play it, and if possible, reading comments or reviews on the download before you click that button.
Another huge problem comes with phishing. This is when you are taken to a fake login page for a major site like your email address, PayPal, etc. and are prompted to sign in. The page looks exactly like the original, so you quickly give them your information. Instantly, the people that created the page have your login info for that website, and now have access to your real private messages, financial information, etc. Phishing is becoming a huge problem through legitimate-looking emails as well. Luckily, it is very easy to check what’s real or not. Before you start typing that login info, simply take a look at the URL of the website. If it’s alksdhg483.info rather than PayPal.com, then you know not to use it. Also keep in mind that the reason many people get tricked like this is because they receive some sort of notification that there is poor activity on their account and they have to sign in right away to avoid its termination. This comes back to the “not freaking out” part. Just always remember that whatever problems you are experiencing due to malware can almost always be fixed a little bit of help and a lot of smart decision making.
