Computer Viruses - How Much You Need to Know

If you are a user of personal computer (PC) or a notebook or even a mobile phone, you should learn to live with the viruses and Malware just like you live in this society with the crimes and nasty politics. How much knowledge should one have to stay safe in the world of computer and internet? Well that is a million dollar question. Although it is obvious that some knowledge of computer viruses and Malware can help you in fighting with those enemies, the extent of knowledge depends on several factors which we need to analyze.

Is your data important?

First of all we have to see the purpose of use of the computer. If it is only for fun then you need not be worried much. But if you use it for a serious business then your data would be more important to you and you probably would like to take any measure to prevent your data from getting corrupted or deleted.

Do you use internet?

If you are a user of internet then your computer is more vulnerable to the threat of viruses and Malware. You need to be more cautious while surfing and downloading. You need to scan the computer in a regular basis to see whether it is already affected by viruses or not otherwise you may lose your valuable data stored in your computer.

Do you use online banking?

If you have an online banking account you must have some knowledge about spam and Malware and should take certain precaution to avoid victimization by fishing and face unrecoverable financial losses.

Do you purchase online?

If you frequently purchase from online sites like eBay, Amazon etc. you have to more careful so safeguard your credit card and other personal information from being hacked and misused.

What is the risk?

Now probably you have realized the impact of risk from these viruses and Malware and you certainly would like to know in a little bit more details regarding all the terms I have mentioned earlier. It is always easy to fight a known enemy than when it comes in disguise of a friend!

Definition of Malware and viruses

Virus is a nothing but a software programme that infects either the executable (exe) files or Object files (Com). It attaches itself to a program in a computer and then replicates itself in way that whenever a corrupted file is executed the virus code is also executed. It can do any type of destructive activities like slowing down the system, preventing you to do certain things or even it can erase data from your computer.

Malware are malicious codes that do not have the ability to replicate itself but once your system is affected by it, your personal information fed through your computer like your credit card information, bank login details and password etc. could be at risk.

Protection

Having this much of knowledge you would certainly think of having a robust protection system for your computer so that you can use your computer safely and stay tension-free while using internet and making financial transaction through online applications. You can easily find antivirus software from your computer dealer or you can purchase one from online sites. There are some free versions of antivirus products which you can download and install to your computer. Following are a few of widely used antivirus software:

•    Norton Antivirus

•    Symantec

•    Kaspersky

•    AVG Antivirus

•    Panda Antivirus Platinum

•    McAfee Antivirus

•    Sophos Antivirus

•    Avast Antivirus

Conclusion

As I have already said that we have to live in this environment of viruses and Malware we need not be scared of those, only we need to know them well so that we can take precaution before it's too late. Once you have installed an antivirus package you need to scan the computer regularly. You should also configure the firewall provided by your operating system to prevent Malware and spamware from affecting your computer. That's all you need to know as a user of personal computer and internet.