Preventing Virus Attacks

            Hi everybody. In today’s world, exploring the Internet can sometimes be extremely dangerous as thousands of websites can contain malicious code that can damage your computer. You might be shopping online for that perfect gift or possibly looking for a part for your car or even looking up the latest information on your favorite celebrity.  Any of these searches can get you into trouble if you are not prudent and cautious. Many people believe that an anti virus program is a stop all for infections but it reality, that is far from the truth. In fact, many of today’s Trojans are so smart, they can actually take hijack your virus program and then act as your new security solution and then try to get you to upgrade it. Some look so real that often people will put in their credit card number and attempt to buy the bogus program. Often times after the purchase, your computer will lock up, begin redirecting you to the wrong sites and often times will keep you from installing any new programs. Some of the more aggressive Trojans will hide your files. If all these symptoms come together, it will often be difficult for the average person to remove. Attempting to do a full scan with your anti virus program would be the first mode of attack but this will only be possible if the anti virus is still running.

            Probably one of the best ways to stay virus free is to be prudent and cautious with your online activities. Foe example, it is a known fact that searching for information on celebrities is extremely risky. If you are doing these types of searches, be sure to look at both the subject line you are searching for and the URL of the site. If the URL is a page that you have never heard of or it has random letters and numbers in the line, it might very well be a bogus site. You should also look for sites that have a .php extension. Be sure the websites you visit are known mainstream sites.

            Another source of Malware is e-mail attachments. Be sure you know who is sending the attachment before opening it and be sure that it was them who actually sent it. Often times a computer with a key logger Trojan can pick up passwords that will allow a hacker to access your e mail account and start sending spam messages that appear to be sent by you. This can further spread the virus to other computers. If this happens, you should have your system professionally cleaned by a computer repair specialist and then change your e-mail password.

            Often times you might get e-mails from trusted places like UPS or E Bay. These e-mails will often contain links that might ask you to check the tracking of a package or something about a recent purchase. These links will often open sites that are infected with Malware and will almost immediately infect your computer. In most cases, these Trojans will fly past your anti virus like they do not exist.

            In summary, you need to be prudent and careful when navigating the web. There is lots of safe information out there to access and enjoy.