Computer viruses are applications designed for harmful reasons and can infect a device without the owner being aware. Anyone with a device has to be careful of attacks when using their computer, tablet or mobile handset. Below are some steps to keep viruses at bay.
Use a more secure operating system – Computer viruses often target Windows computers because so many more run on a Windows operating system. An alternative is to run a Lunix operating system or Apples OSX.
Install anti-virus software and keep it up to date – It usually prevents the device from known viruses.The anti virus software on a device must be kept up to date so that it can deal with new threats.
Never open email attachments that contain executable files – Files with extensions such as .exe, .com and .vbs should be avoided.They are capable of doing whatever wrong they have been programmed to do if opened.
Don’t open email links that you don’t trust – Treat it as a source that you are not expecting, similar to executable files.
Never run macros in a document unless you are certain of its purpose – A macro is a way of automating repetitive tasks and are more commonly used in Windows applications like Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and others. It is now uncommon to have any reason to use a macro.
Be careful when opening graphics or media files – Although graphics and media files themselves are not viruses, it is possible for a virus to be disguised as a graphic or media file by assuming a false extension such as jpg. Opening files like this allows the virus to infect the device.
Download applications from official stores for smartphones or tablets – Even though many virus attacks still target computers and are more severe due to the volume of data that may be stored on a computer, viruses can also affect smartphones and tablets.