Job Interview Questions

This is another installment in the IT best practices sermons I've been writing lately.

Virus activity is a big thing that I've seen happen to lots of people lately. People don't realize what a virus looks like or how they get it.

How do I get a Virus?

The first way to get a virus is by visiting a website that may be infected. If you visit a website and you get something that pops up and says you are infected, it most likely is a virus. Recently, viruses have been appearing in the form of pop up windows that are meant to look like a message from your antivurs software. The pop up messages might indicate that your computer is infected asking you to click on something. Many people think that the fake message is legitimate and click on it. By clicking on the pop up message the computer is then infected.

If you see a pop up that says "You are infected, click here to scan" or something similar, do not click on it and close the window immediately. The best rule of thumb is: Do not click on anything that you don't trust. Pop up windows and email attachments from sources you don't recognize can be very dangerous.

You should be familiar with what antivirus software you have installed on your computer. If you see a window or pop up message from something other than your antivirus software stating you have a virus, close the message by clicking the X in the upper right corner. Do not click anywhere on the message.

The second way to get a virus is by opening an email attachment. If you get an email from someone with an attachment, especially if it is someone you don't know, you should not open it. Especially, if the attachment is an .exe or .bat file. If you get an attachment that you need to open, save it to your computer and scan it before you open it.

How can I protect my computer?

The best rule of thumb is to have a good antivirus program on your computer that is up to date. Typically, when you buy a computer it will have a 30 day trial version of something on it. It is important to remember, that after 30 days, you are no longer protected unless you activate this software and pay for it. Many people think that this software protects them from viruses, it doesn't unless you actually pay for it.

The other myth is that I have antivirus installed, I can't get a virus. Wrong! While most programs are pretty good at catching things, you can still get infected if you are not careful. Just because you have auto insurance, doesn't mean you won't get into an accident.

Which antivirus software should I use?

That is the million dollar question. Many people have favorites and it really is up to you. Just make sure you have something with a proven track record and something that offers frequent updates. If you use a free one, just remember you get what you pay for. Some free ones work just fine, but be careful. I'd recommend something that you pay for.

Is there anything else I can do?

Another way to help protect your machine is to stay up to date with Windows updates. Start, Control Panel, Security Settings, Automatic Updates, make sure it is set to Automatic and Every Day. This will ensure that your computer has all of the latest security patches for Windows. If your computer is out of date on updates, you are more likely to get a virus or have issues with Windows. If you ever see a message down by your clock that says updates are ready, make sure you take some time to run the update.

Keep an eye on people that use your computer. If you have kids that like to download music and games from questionable sources, you are more likely to get a virus along the way. Always keep tabs on your family and what they are doing on your computer, you'd be surprised how often people are doing things that put your computer and your important information at risk without knowing it.