Malware attacks are becoming increasingly more common. Malicious software used in the attacks are designed to disrupt the use of your computer or steal your personal information. Malware can cause minor problems such as changing the homepage on your browser. In other cases, malware attacks can steal personal information and get access to your online bank accounts. It’s important to ensure that you stay safe online and protect yourself from these attacks.

In some cases, the only option to remove a virus is to format the hard drive and reinstall your operating system. Therefore, you should ensure that you keep regular backups of your data. Keep backups safe and ensure that you can recover lost data if you need to format your computer.

Anti-Virus Software
You should always use anti-virus software to keep your computer free of viruses, and there are many free options available. It’s a good idea to ensure that your chosen anti-virus program comes with a real-time scanner. This will protect you by scanning files in the background. As different programs pick up different viruses, some experts recommend that you install more than one anti-virus program. For example, you might want to use both Avast and Malwarebytes at the same time.

Update Software
Keeping your operating system and software up to date will help to reduce the possibility of a malware attack. In some cases, security flaws can give hackers complete control of your system. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that everything on your computer is up to date.

Use a Firewall
Firewalls are designed to protect your computer by only allowing certain connections. You have complete control over what can and can’t connect to the internet. If you don’t recognize software which is trying to send or receive data over the internet, you can easily block it. Windows comes with a firewall preinstalled, but you may want to also use another third-party firewall.

Unknown Senders
If you receive unusual emails or messages from unknown senders, you should be suspicious. Online fraudsters are extremely active and will try to trick you into giving them money, or they’ll steal personal information. Don’t open messages from people you don’t know, and ensure that your anti-virus program scans emails and attachments before opening them.

Safe Browsing
Some websites have been designed to infect your computer with malware. If you think there is something unusual about a website, it is recommended that you leave it immediately. Many internet browsers and anti-virus programs will alert you if you visit a suspicious website. In addition to tricking you into revealing your personal data, fraudsters sometimes make websites look like other popular sites in a bid to gain your login information.

Computer malware has been around since the early part of the 1970s. As the internet exploded in popularity during the 1990s, malware started to spread faster than ever before. Some malware can have devastating effects such as stealing money or losing all the data on your computer. Therefore, it’s important that you try to prevent attacks and keep yourself safe when using your computer.