Practical tips to protect yourself against viruses and other threats

 

If you want to avoid viruses and other threats, it is advisable to follow these tips suggested by Panda Software:

 

1.    Use a good IT security solution and update it regularly. The best way to protect your computer against malicious software is to install a good IT security solution.

 

Platinum Internet Security is a computer program especially designed to provide an optimum level of security. Besides detecting and removing viruses, worms and Trojans, it is capable of protecting your computer against many other threats lurking on the Internet: spam, dialers, spyware, jokes, hoaxes, security risks, vulnerabilities, excessive popup ads, etc.

 

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However, more than 20 new viruses and other threats emerge every day, which IT security solutions are unable to recognize. Therefore, updating your security solution frequently becomes fundamental for detecting and deleting these new malicious codes. The efficiency of a good security solution lies, to a great extent, in its capacity to be updated, preferably daily.

 

2.    Make sure that your IT security solution includes technical support, malware emergency response and a malware alert service. Although it is true that a correctly updated security program is the best tool to fight viruses and other threats, we recommend that you also have some additional services.

A technical support service, via e-mail or telephone, will be very helpful to solve any problem or inquiry that might arise in relation to a certain virus and threats or the program itself.

 

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A malware emergency response service is highly recommendable and plays a vital role in eliminating the new viruses and threats that affect users.

 

A virus alert system is another essential service that an IT security solution should offer. These are warnings of threats circulated, for example, via e-mail.

 

3.      Make sure that the protections of your security solution are enabled at all times. A good security solution is only effective as long as its protections are enabled and working properly.

 

Your can consult the automatic protection status in the section Self-diagnosis of the automatic protection. This can be found in the Home menu of Platinum Internet Security.

 

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3.    Verify all messages received before opening them. E-mail is the most popular means of virus and worm propagation, therefore we advise you to be particularly careful when using it.

Every e-mail message received can contain viruses and other threats, even if there is no attachment symbol accompanying it (the typical paperclip). Similarly, it is not necessary to run the attachment to become infected; on some systems, simply opening the message or viewing it through the preview pane is enough to trigger the infection.

 

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The best way to avoid infections is to verify all unsolicited e-mail messages or those received from non-habitual sources. An indication of virus presence is text written in a foreign language in the message body.

 

4.    Avoid downloading items from unreliable websites. Many Internet pages allow users to download programs and files to their computers. However, these files infected by viruses or other threats.

 

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As there is no definite way to know if downloads are safe, users should avoid downloading programs from unreliable websites. Generally, reliable sites are those sites that give clear information on their activity, as well as the products and services they offer. Sites backed by organizations such as publishing houses, governmental organizations, etc. can also generally be considered reliable.

 

5.    Reject all unsolicited files that you receive in chats or newsgroups. Thanks to the Internet, it is possible to exchange information and have real-time conversations on different issues through newsgroups and chats.

 

Newsgroups, which are different from mailing lists and use their own Internet transmission system (NNTP), also require constant and effective protection.

 

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Both systems, apart from enabling communication between people, make it possible to transfer files. Therefore, we advise users to be extremely careful and accept only those files sent from known, reliable sources.

 

6.    Always scan every floppy disk that you use on your computer. Together with the Internet, floppy disks are one of the most common means of virus propagation.

 

We recommend that you scan all the floppy disks used on your computer, using a good security solution.

 

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We also advise you to write-protect your floppy disks when using them on other computers. To do this, simply slide the write protect tab on the back of the floppy disk upwards.

 

7.    Remove all disks from the floppy disk drive on shutting down or restarting your computer. In spite of the fact that the Internet is one of the most common means by which viruses spread, floppy disks are still an important virus entry-point.

 

Apart from scanning all the floppy disks that you use, another way to avoid boot viruses is to remove all disks from the drives on shutting down or restarting your computer.

 

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For times when you forget to do so, it is a good idea to have a good IT solution that checks for infected floppy disks.

 

8.    Scan within compressed files. Compressed files, which are very useful as they can contain several files in a reduced space, are a breeding ground for viruses and other threats.

 

It is very important that your IT security solution detects as many compressed formats as possible.

 

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Before directly opening files of this kind, such as ZIP files, we recommend saving them to a temporary folder –whose files can be later deleted- created by the user, instead of opening them in working directories, such as the Windows directory, My Documents folders, the Desktop, etc.

 

9.    Look out for suspicious virus activities. When using your computer you might notice different symptoms that could be an indication that there is a virus in the system: an increase in the file size, messages warning you of the presence of macros in Word and Excel documents that should not contain them, people receiving e-mail messages from you that you did not send, etc.

 

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The best thing to do in situations like this, is contact the S.O.S virus service provided by Panda Software.

 

10.  Add the security options of the applications that you normally use to your protection policies. The most popular computer programs become a target for virus writers. Therefore, software manufacturers usually include antivirus security options in their products.

 

This is the case with Internet browsers, word processors, e-mail programs, etc. that incorporate features for protecting information. If you are not familiar with these options, you can consult the program Help files and search for the term ‘security’ to learn about these features.

 

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These specific security features are a highly useful addition to having an updated IT security solution.

 

11.  Make regular backup copies. A good way for both home and corporate users to minimize the destructive effect of viruses and other threats is to restore backup copies.

 

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Making frequent backup copies of the most important information in the system is an excellent security policy. This way, the loss of data caused by a virus can be solved just by restoring the latest backup copy.

 

12.  Keep yourself informed. A good way to protect yourself against new viruses is to keep up-to-date with the latest news in the IT sector.

 

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However, considering the information overload from the media it would be advisable to check all this data against the full, expert and up-to-date information provided by certain companies and organizations: antivirus companies, IT security consultants, organizations that circulate virus alerts, governmental organizations, universities, etc.

 

13.  Always use legal software. The risk of infection will be lower if you only install legal software in your computer.

 

If the program you are using was installed from a pirated CD-ROM or is legal software, which has been manipulated in order to break the manufacturer’s protection, you cannot be sure if the product is virus-free.

 

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Similarly, in the case of IT security software, a legal copy of the program allows users to enjoy all the additional services that guarantee its effectiveness and protection.

 

14.  Demand that software manufacturers, Internet access providers and publication editors get involved in the fight against and other threats. Everyone in the IT sector should get involved in the fight against viruses: companies, users, antivirus manufacturers, the media, etc.

 

As the Internet is the most popular means of virus propagation, collaboration from the Internet access providers in this fight is essential.

 

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Apart from that, it would be a great help if software manufactures and magazines distributing CD-ROMs took the necessary measures to prevent viruses from spreading.

 

Collaboration from all parties involved would help lessen the problem of virus infections.

 

image\nota_shg.gif Note: You can consult these tips and other interesting information on computer viruses in the Virus encyclopedia on the Panda Software website www.pandasoftware.com/virus_info/encyclopedia.