Got Virus?

Yeah, been there, done that. I've been nailed with viruses and spyware in the past too. And I've had to learn to clean them. As careful as I've been, I still managed to get infected.

I'm putting this at the top of my list to share with you because it's an important item in keeping your system in good working order. Even if you have anti-virus software, you can still get nailed with some little nasties like spyware you may not be aware of until you see funny things happening on your computer. I should point out that I'm talking about your computer at home. The one in your office is being taken care of by your I.T. people so it's not your problem.

When I talk about viruses, I included things like Spyware. Spyware is software that ends up on your computer (without your knowledge or consent) for the purposes of collecting information about you and your browsing habits. They don't necessarily cause damage to your computers but you don't want anyone gathering passwords or personal information. Malware (malicious software) will cause damage to your computer.

Viruses these days aren't transmitted just by email anymore. Very few of them are in fact through email. Going to the wrong kind of Web site or downloading a file that you thought was an MP3 from a site that's not reputable could be problematic. Even some Flash drives these days have been known to be infected and simply plugging them into your USB port will get your machine infected.

So, what can you do to protect yourself or more importantly where do you go for help?

There are a couple of things you can do to help keep your machine clean of viruses.

Prevention/Protection
The best way to take care of viruses is to avoid them in the first place. Sort of the same attitude you employ to avoid getting a cold (hand sanitizer, frequent hand-washing). If you shake hands with someone who has a cold, chances are you'll get one. Here are some suggestions.

Eradication
If you do find your home computer is infected despite all the precautions you are taking, there are some things you can do to get rid of the infection so don't give up quite yet.

There is software you can download for free that can scan your computer to detect and possibly clean any infections even if you already have software to do that. They're not all the same.
There are people out there who can help you and I've listed a couple of sites below where you can go.

Above all, you must be patient. These things don't get corrected in an hour. It once took me 10 days of messages back and forth with experts on getting my problem resolved. I work during the day so it took a while. Get help from a reputable on-line forum or someone you know.

Useful Software and Web sites
There’s lots of software and utilities out there, some for free(although a donation is more than welcome), that will help protect and clean your computer. Like everything else though, be careful what you download. Check out some of my suggestions for what might be helpful.

Summary and Recommendations

• Install anti-virus and/or anti-spyware software and don’t be cheap about it. Buy it if you have to. I run both Norton Anti-virus and Spybot.
• Do your updates about once a week. Schedule a quick scan every day and a full scan once a week.
• Avoid suspicious email and DO NOT OPEN attachments unless you are expecting them from someone you know.
• Surf safely.
• Scan everything and anything you download.
• Avoid downloading music and video files from peer-to-peer sites. At least scan them before you open them.
• Backup your data.
• Don’t give out your passwords.