How to Protect a Computer from Viruses
Level of difficulty: Easy
There are a lot of viruses and other unwanted files that can get on your computer while you are surfing the Internet. These viruses often do activities on your computer to make it slow down or to stop functioning properly. It may also lead to theft of important information such as personal and financial information. It is important to keep your computer protected from these viruses to avoid losing important data and to keep your computer running smoothly.
Materials Needed:- Anti-virus software
- Internet access
Step 1
Install an anti-virus program on your computer. If you do not already have one, you can download free anti-virus programs from the Internet. Make sure that the anti-virus program that you are going to download is legitimate and has a good reputation. Search for comments and suggestions from the Internet to be able to choose a good anti-virus program.
Step 2
Once you have downloaded the anti-virus application, install it on your computer. Follow the prompts to finish setting up the anti-virus program. You can also choose to purchase an anti-virus application.
Step 3
To protect your computer from being infected with viruses, you must perform a full system scan regularly. The full system scan can take up to several minutes to an hour. If your anti-virus program detects viruses on your machine, delete them from your system. The anti-virus program usually has the option to delete these viruses so you do not have to do it manually.
Step 4
Make sure that your anti-virus program is up to date. Anti-virus programs usually get automatically updated regularly. This is to make sure that it detects new viruses that may infect your computer, as there are plenty of viruses created everyday.
Step 5
Do not simply rely on your anti-virus program to protect your computer from viruses, as some viruses are difficult to remove from the computer. Be careful in downloading files from the Internet, especially from malicious sources. These files may be infected with viruses and they can infect your computer when you download the files.
Step 6
Be careful in clicking links on websites. Some of these links lead you to websites that contain viruses and your computer can be infected when you visit these websites.
Step 7
As much as possible, avoid connecting removable hard drives and USB flash drives that have been connected to other computers. Some viruses can be transmitted from computer to computer through these portable devices.