Preventing virus infections

Even the most proven and trusted preventative actions cannot ensure 100% protection against computer viruses and Trojans, but you can considerably minimize the risk of being affected by a virus attack and thus reduce the losses from a possible infection if you develop and follow certain rules.

Similar to health care, one of the main methods of fighting viruses is the prevention of a possible infection. For computers, prevention of a virus infection includes a few rules that must be followed in order to reduce the risk of virus infection and data loss.

Listed below are the main security rules that you should follow in order to prevent virus attacks.

Rule 1: keep your computer protected with anti-virus programs and Internet security software. In order to do this:

Install Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal.
Update your anti-virus database on a daily basis. During periods of virus outbreaks you can retrieve updates several times a day because during such periods the anti-virus database on the Kaspersky Labs update servers are updated constantly.
Apply the real-time protection settings recommended by Kaspersky Labs experts. Real-time protection is enabled immediately after system startup and prevents the penetration of viruses into your computer.
Apply on-demand scan settings recommended by Kaspersky Labs experts and schedule the scan to be run at least once a week.
We also recommend that you install Kaspersky Anti-Hacker for comprehensive computer protection while you are surfing the Internet.

Rule 2: be careful when copying any new data to your computer:

Always scan all removable drives (floppy disks, CD-ROM drives, flash cards, etc.) for viruses before using them.
Be careful with e-mail messages. Never open an e-mail attachment, even if it was sent to you by a person your know, unless you have been expecting it. In particular, do not trust e-mails that claim to be sent by anti-virus companies.
Be careful with any data downloaded from the Internet. If you are prompted to download a program, always check if it comes with a security certificate.
If you download an executable file from the Internet or from a LAN, scan it with Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal.
Be selective about the websites you visit. Some websites contain dangerous scripts or Internet worms.

Rule 3: Read carefully all information supplied by Kaspersky Labs.

In most cases, Kaspersky Labs experts warn users about new virus outbreaks long before they reach their peaks. The risk of getting infected is still low at this time and if you download the up-to-date anti-virus database, you will be able to protect your computer against these new viruses.

Rule 4: Be suspicious about hoax virus warnings - e-mail messages that claim to be warnings of real virus threats.

Rule 5: Regularly update your operating system using the Windows Update utility.

Rule 6: Always buy licensed copies of your software from authorized dealers.

Rule 7: Limit the number of people who have access to your computer.

Rule 8: Minimize potential losses from a possible infection:

Backup your data on a regular basis. In the event of data loss, your system may be fairly quickly restored using backup copies. Your distribution disks, floppy disks and other media with software installation and other important data should be kept in a safe place.
Always create a bootable rescue disk from which you can boot using a "clean" operating system.

See also:

When do I need to perform an anti-virus scan?

Scan settings to be used

Starting on-demand scan

Scheduled full scan

On-demand scan of selected objects

Scanning archives