Tips to Keep Your Computer Virus-Free

Viruses are one the most painful and frustrating problems to confront on your computer. Even though some of them are harmless, they do have the ability to do a number of nasty things up to and including damaging or erasing sensitive data from your computer. Using a few simple and effective tips, you can greatly decrease the chances of obtaining a virus and keep your computer running like new.

These below steps can be taken to make your computer more secure:

• Email is one of the common ways by which your computer can catch a virus. So, it is always recommended to stay away from SPAM. 
• Always make backups of important information and store in a safe place separate from your computer.
• You should be careful about using MS Outlook because they are more susceptible to worms than other e-mail programs, unless you have an efficient antivirus programs running. 
• Install antivirus software and set for automatic updates so that you receive the most current versions.
• Turn off your computer and disconnect from the network when not using the computer. A hacker can not attack your computer when you are disconnected from the network or the computer is off.
• Be sure your email program doesn't automatically download attachments. This will ensure that you can examine and scan attachments before they run.
• USB thumb/pen drives are another common way by which viruses spread rapidly. So, it is always a good habit to perform a virus scan before copying any data onto your computer.