A computer virus is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without the knowledge of the user. It can be delivered via, internet or a removable medium such as a floppy disk, CD, DVD, or USB drive. They can be spread by infecting files on a network file system or a file system that is accessed by another computer.
To fight with these viruses, there is Antivirus software, which mainly prevent and remove computer viruses, including worms and Trojan horses. They also detect and remove adware, spyware, and other forms of malware. But, they create some problems. If it is of the type that scans continuously, Antivirus software may cause a significant decline in computer performance. Also, there could be some commands for a decision, the user may not understand. Further, we have to pay annual premium for the software.
So can we go for using our PCs without using virus scanner?
The answer is, "yes, you can." But to remain virus and spyware free, you will need to adopt some precautions and stick with them. There are five simple steps, if you follow, can beat the virus attack.
I. Clean Software
If a PC is free from Antivirus software, then it should have legitimate and clean software. That means pirated copies of programs that can be downloaded through various sites or on newsgroups, borrowed from friends through file sharing, or found on shareware and freeware sites all should be denied for the PC. As there is no scanning, so a file you download online is not as easy to check for viruses as it would be if you had an antivirus program installed.
II. Remote Scan
In offices or home, if user has more than one PC, he can install Antivirus software on one while leaving the other machine without Antivirus software. And through network connection, he can check individual files or entire drives remotely.
Also, with free online virus and spyware scanning tools, for e.g., Trend Micro's House Call and Eset's Online Scan will perform a scan of your computer right from the Internet. These types of scan might not remove any viruses or spyware, but they will at least tell you about the threats in your computer.
III. Built-In Protections
In today’s PC, there has some malware protection already built in the computer. Even before your computer loads your OS, it launches the code found in your system's BIOS (basic input-output system), which initiates the hardware Relevant Products/Services in your PC and enables you to identify the components you have. The BIOS could be accessed by pressing F2 or Del during boot-up, which is an optional boot sector protection mechanism. If you enable this, you will protect your PC against boot sector viruses without ever installing a single antivirus too.
Also, various browsers provide some security tools, including anti-phishing filters or lists of web sites that are known carriers of harmful software. Further, Microsoft’s Windows Defender, formerly known as Microsoft AntiSpyware, is a software product to prevent, remove and quarantine spyware in Microsoft Windows. It is included and enabled by default in Windows Vista and Windows 7, and is available as a free download for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
IV. Web Sites
To check the inflow of any virus/infection, you have to stay away from the sites that are frequent carriers of spyware, which includes many sites that claimed to sell anti-spyware software. Also, check the visits to various X-rated or gaming sites if you have no spyware or antivirus protection.
V. E-Mail with Care
You have to keep an eye over various e-mail messages from unknown sources, if it contains an attachment. The majority of malware contracted through e-mail comes in the form of attachments that the sender tries to get the recipient to open. Just delete it. You can also built-in e-mail checker or onboard antivirus tool to check the email before opening up.
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Author: Amarpreet97
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tag : Anti Spyware, Anti Virus, Viruses and worms, Spyware and trojans, Hijacking and botnets, Blocks spyware and adware, Blocks all types of keyloggers, malicious programs
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