How to Protect your Computer from Getting Sick

Unlike humans, computers are not living and breathing beings, but did you know they can still get sick?

According to CNN, in 2014 there were over 317 million malware detections reported! That means each day 1 million harmful computer threats were created increasing the chance of your computer getting sick.

And when that happens we can?t just take our computers to the doctor get a diagnosis and treat them with medicine. So how can we prevent this from happening and how can we treat it if it does? 

What exactly is Malware?

Malware is any type of malicious software that tries to infect a computer trying to cause as much damage as possible. It can extract personal information, delete or duplicate stored files, and even try to steal identities. There are many different types of malware surfacing each day but the 3 most common are:

• Viruses
• Worms
• Trojans

Viruses are tiny programs infecting your computer. They are designed to create, move, duplicate, and erase important files on your computer. They will take up most of the computers memory causing it to malfunction and crash.They are also able to duplicate and move across networks causing maximum damage.

Worms are stand-alone programs that replicate themselves spreading to other computers through networks relying on weak security to gain access. The job of a worm is to spread malicious code through the operating system. Worms differ from viruses because they do not necessarily need attach to anything in order to spread.

Trojans or trojan horses disguise themselves as legitimate software, links, or attachments. When they are opened they will destroy data and software stored on computers to locate valuable information for the person who created them.

How do computers get infected with Malware?

Malware can infect your computer many different ways. But like malware there are 3 common ways it can be done.

• Bad Links
• Spam Email
• Downloads

Bad Links like trojans, will disguise themselves as something legitimate. Perhaps a site you may need or a link to another page. When you click on the bank link there will be a pop-up that says a software is installing onto your system in order to view the site but the installation is actually just malware.

Spam Email is easy to recognize. Read our blog post on spam mail for more detection information. Malware is generally stored in any attached files or links in the body and infects your system when opened.

Downloads such as music files, video files, or software from both trusted and untrusted sites may contain hidden. Once the download is complete and opened, your entire system can be compromised.

Now that you know what causes your computer to get sick the best way to avoid it is through prevention and protection. We offer these 10 tips to help you keep your computer healthy.

1. Install a pop-up blocker.
2. Change your passwords often
3. Do not click on any links or attachments in emails you think are spam or from an unknown sender.
4. Avoid downloading files from the internet as much as possible, or from entrust worthy sites
5. Preform daily scans with an anti-virus software.
6. Ensure your software is up to date.
7. Backup your computer on a regular basis (with Syncrify of course!).
8. Perform scans on all incoming email attachments from emails and downloads from the internet.
9. Computers are all equipped with firewalls. Make sure they are up and running.
10. Stay updated with any cyber threats that are alerted in the news.

For more information on keeping your computer protected with our spam filter Xeams and our backup solution Syncrify visit our website or give our sales team a call (609)-750-0007

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Created on:	Sep 30, 2016
Last updated on:	Apr 22, 2024

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