More than thirty years ago, in the 1980’s, the first computer virus was discovered. Today, cybercriminals and viruses change faster than the world of computers or cellphones. It is important to be equipped with the proper tools to battle against the evolution of cybercrime.
Eugene Kaspersky, co-founder and CEO of the Kaspersky Lab, warns the public of the impending cybercrime awaiting smart TVs. Anything that can connect to the internet is at risk. In fact, the Kaspersky Lab detects 315,000 suspicious activity reports every day. This number has doubled in the past year.
Back in the day, most viruses were relatively harmless. However, all technology systems are valuable to cybercriminals, leaving millions of devices infected and eventually destroying their files. It is clear that computer viruses are not only multiplying in number but in severity.
Follow the following steps to prevent a computer virus from infecting your PC.
Anti-virus
The best way to protect yourself, from current and future viruses, is to be equipped with a high quality anti-virus.
Currently you can install anti-viruses for a variety of your devices including your computer, cellphone and even tablet. Keep your eyes open for anti-viruses that can be installed to other electronic devices, including your smart TV.
Furthermore, keep your anti-virus software up to date.
Scan
When you are setting-up your anti-virus software, you want to select the option that allows you to run virus scans at regular intervals. We recommend taking advantage of this option. We also suggest asking an expert to look through your system and cleanup anything that may have slipped through the cracks of the antivirus.
Current Operating System
Regardless of if you are running Windows, Mac or any other operating system you need to keep it up to date. The developers of your operating system are always looking for security patches that fix any security leaks.
Secure Network
Nearly all of our devices connect to the internet via a Wi-Fi connection. Do not broadcast an open wireless network. Assign a password to your connection while hiding you SSID, or the name of the network. Attempt to use a WPA or WPA2 encryption. Provide a connection for your computer and a network connection for guests with a different SSID and password.
Take note: always assign different passwords for all accounts including your internet systems.
Back Up Files
Back up all of your files. We recommend backing up your files to three different locations: your computer, a separate storage device, and off-site cyber account. With that said, we do recommend encrypting your backed up files.
By taking these measures to protect your PC from a virus it is a safe to say you will have a happy and healthy computer.
Electronic devices and viruses are unpredictably changing. The best thing that you can do is work with a specialist to help control the viruses and oversee the threats of cybercrime. Contact your local IT expert today for more information!