Four Easy Ways to Stop Virus Infections

4 rules to rid your PC of viruses forever.
June 2008
by Robin Wark

One of the biggest challenges faced by any PC owner is avoiding being struck down by insidious computer viruses that are seemingly omni-present within the World Wide Web, expecting to hit the one million mark by the end of 2008.

Most unsuspecting users become infected by a virus by opening a malicious email attachment or downloading an infected file from a website. Another vulnerability for users is visiting web pages that have embedded viruses, or opening emails that are made to look like web pages (HTML-format emails). These viruses will run when the page or email is viewed and the user will not know that he or she is being duped. Users are often coaxed into opening these pages through misleading and tantalizing messages.


There are a few simple steps you can take to mitigate the risks, and severely reduce the chances of contracting a virus.

  1. Never open any emails or files that you aren't sure about. It's just not worth the risk. Some of them may even seem perfectly legit, but if it is something that you don't recognize, it is either probably not worth opening, or contains something malicious. Email filters can help protect your inbox from phishing and spam messages, but it is still a possibility that something may slip through the cracks, so it is always better safe than sorry when it comes to unfamiliar messages.
  2. Only download files from trusted sites. When on the Internet make sure that the sites you are visiting are reputable. Once again, if you have not heard of the site or the file, it is wise not to download it. Why take the risk? If you really think you need it, an extra precaution would be to download the file onto a disk that is detached from your hard drive, such as a floppy disk or a zip disk. You can then scan the files with a virus scanner to be safe.
  3. Only install programs from authentic CDs. Installing from trusted commercial CDs is the safest way to go. Don't trust CDs that have been passed around or copied by friends. They could unknowingly be passing on a virus to you.
  4. The most important thing you can do is install a top of the line anti-virus program. These programs will detect, scan and remove viruses from your computer and incoming email messages, as well as block access to malware-related URLs. New viruses are being developed every day so it is important to install anti-virus software that is fully featured and has a good industry reputation.

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