Is This Virus Contagious Doc?

Human and computer viruses share one main detail: they both replicate like wild fire. All it takes is brief contact whether direct or indirect. For example if a human is in a room with ten other people and the one sick person sneezes without covering their mouth. The virus becomes airborne and the other humans breathe the virus and become infected with the virus. In the digital world it is much the same. One simple email can circulate like wild fire and spread a malicious virus to everyone's machine it comes in contact with.

So how can you avoid being infected with a virus? Well, the simple answer is you can't avoid it 100%. There are no antivirus programs that can protect you from all viruses, all the time. Even though some claim they can, it is nearly impossible. Just like in the physical world, it is virtually impossible to live online and not be exposed to some sort of malicious code. However, there are things you can do to minimize the chances of being infected.

Here is a list of things you can do to help avoid being infected with viruses, spyware, malware, adware, trojans, and other harmful code:
Watch what you click on in social sites such as MySpace and Facebook. Some of the apps on these sites are nothing more than fraudulent attempts to get your private details. Some apps have been known to drop keyloggers onto victims computers which can log every keystroke you make and thereby obtain your passwords to your accounts. Watch out for those IQ test apps and other similar apps. Don't click on them.Don't go to questionable sites that promote adult material or claim to have serial codes for paid softwares. Never enter your personal details at these sites!Avoid clicking links in your email that look like they are from major banks or other financial institutions such as PayPal or AlertPay. Always type these addresses into your browsers address box manually. If you need to go to PayPal then go to your browser and type in http://www.paypal.com. Never open attachments or click on links in emails that appear to be from your bank!Do scan your computer regularly to help find and remove viruses and other bugs that may have slipped thru the cracks and onto your system. But be careful, some of these free scans themselves are trojans that are very hard to remove once they make it to your registry.

Only do scans from reputable companies like ReimageToday.

The best practice is to simply be cautious and watch who you let use your computer.

Jonathan Black is a Certified Computer Technician with 12 years online experience. He has been studying and removing viruses and other malicious code from clients computers for over 10 years and has significant knowledge in this field. He recommends using Reimage Today on a regular basis to keep your PC clean. http://reimagetoday.com/

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Article Submitted On: February 01, 2011