Computer viruses
can infect a personal computer or a network of computers within your business
in many ways. Spyware, viruses and malicious programs are very common and can
interfere with our work by appearing on USB drives, in emails or as advertising
spam.
How computer
viruses enter your computer
Here are roughly of
the most common ways to get infected with computer viruses and some solutions
to successfully prevent them:
Accept requests
that appear in advertisements or pop-up windows that indicate that your
computer is infected or that it needs a unique antivirus. These types of
indications usually appear when installing or updating a third program, and it
is suggested that if you install something from the Internet, it should be
personalized to ensure that no virus or malicious program is added during the
process.
Make sure you
download the software you need for yourself or your business from a trusted
source and run it using the appropriate antivirus scans and the appropriate
spyware. Read all the indications about the program you are installing and if
necessary, you can verify if a website is reliable using tools like WOT.
Opening email
attachments, as a general rule, should not occur with those you do not expect
to receive. Computers can become infected when users open email attachments
that contain malicious code. Even if the message is from a co-worker, friend or
family member, be careful before opening a link or downloading an attachment
that you don't expect.
Any hard disk or
USB memory connected to a personal or company computer can contain different
types of viruses. It is a common approach for hackers to gain access to a
network through a series of codes present on a pendrive drive, and they are
capable of infecting the entire system with a virus or a Trojan.
Visiting unknown
links we run the risk of ending up on a website that could access your computer
through malicious files or obtain all kinds of information about our system.
Open suspicious chats, emails or SMS carefully, be careful even with URLs that
seem legitimate and check all the information they refer to.
Running the latest
updates should also be done in a reasonable way, treating with caution
especially those associated with Microsoft Windows or oriented to security.
Always keep your operating system, programs, and browser add-ons updated, which
can also be vulnerable. Run tools to check installed add-ons and their
versions.
Pirated software
contained in applications such as BitTorrent for the illegal exchange of music,
movies or copyrighted software, can be another risk to consider. Sometimes
these files and programs contain viruses, spyware, Trojans, or malicious
software.
Automatic backups,
restores and antivirus installation
Because data is the
heart of a business, protecting it is crucial. Implementing a data backup and
recovery plan is vital, as backup copies of our files protect us against
accidental data loss or corruption.
We are exposed to
both hardware failures and natural disasters, and as administrators we must
ensure that backups are made from time to time, which can be done automatically
or manually, with automation being an increasingly used resource. Store your
copies in a safe location for full guarantees of safety at work and set a plan
that takes into account the frequency with which to make backups an automated
task.
The importance of
installing an antivirus in your company
Once you have
established this schedule that specifies the copies to be made, do not forget
the importance of having antivirus protection against spyware or malware and
that it helps prevent future infections from computer viruses, one of the most
common causes of data loss.
Installing a good
antivirus is a fundamental measure both at home and at work, a solution to
protect devices and information of your business in all kinds of circumstances
in which you could be affected by the problems that having a virus entails.
For complete IT
security, GADAE NETWEB offers you backup services in the cloud and NAS backups
aimed at SMEs, freelancers and laptop users. It allows to outsource backups
automatically and easily, being ready to be used immediately and in a totally
intuitive way.
