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Antivirus Security Tips

AV-Test estimates there are around 85 new security threats every day: viruses, worms, zombies, and Trojans. This is why it is so important to have a good antivirus program and keep it updated.
Viruses can wreak havoc on a computer. They can be anything from annoying to erasing your entire disk. Having antivirus protection is imperative. They are not perfect since a virus that is not recognized by the antivirus program can slip through. This is usually the case with out-of-date antivirus software or a brand new virus that the vendor has not put in the antivirus updates (called in-the-wild viruses).

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Install an Antivirus Program

Buy a reputable, up-to-date antivirus program and install it. The latest versions generally have better antivirus detection in them. Right after installation get the latest antivirus update then do a full system scan (all the hard drives).


Get the Latest Virus Update

After installing an antivirus program it is imperative to get the latest antivirus update. Not only are initial antivirus programs out-of-date, but in getting the latest version the antivirus program itself may get updated.


Full Computer System Scan Details

A full system scan consists of scanning memory, the registry, operating system areas, and all the disk drives. If you want a CD-ROM or DVD drive scanned, you must specify this as it is not normally done by default. Yes, it has happened - vendors have shipped CDs and DVDs with viruses on them.


Automatic Update

Make sure that the antivirus program installed is actually updating itself. Sometimes this feature needs to be activated. The updates should occur frequently - at least once a day. Vendors update their antivirus databases erratically, depending on how many viruses are found. Each vendor puts the antivirus database version differently.


Admin vs. User Mode

For every day computing login as a regular user, not as an admin. This prevents certain viruses from installing programs (since you have to be an admin to install a program).