How to protect your PC from malware and other external attacks

Here're some tips on how you can protect yourself and others:

1. Never use an Administrator account to surf the internet or check your emails. Always create Standard User accounts with limited rights and use them for everyday purposes. Only login as Administrator when you need to install programs. Most malware can already be blocked by this simple step!

2. Never ever open/forward unsolicited messages, especially those with attachments, even if it were from a trusted source as viruses can easily masquerade as your friend! And even if you confirmed it is sent by your well-intentioned friend, avoid opening it as he/she may have obtained the email from other sources. Don't assume your anti-virus software can protect you because there is always a lag time between the appearance of a virus and the solution to identify and remove it.

3. Ignore all pop-up windows and close them by pressing "Alt-F4" - don't try to click on anything in such windows, not even the "cross" icon because you may unwittingly activate a virus or malware. Better still, configure your web browser to disallow all pop-up windows except for certain trusted websites where pop-up windows are necessary.

4. Install a reliable anti-virus software and update it regularly. One good anti-virus is avast!. It is FREE for non-commercial use and it also has FREE unlimited updates and it can be downloaded at: http://www.avast.com

5. There are also virus hoaxes floating around. Hoaxes are emails which are not infected but contain instructions to supposedly warn and protect you against viruses. Instructions may include asking you to delete certain files or modifying your registry. Beware of such emails as they may do more harm than actual viruses! Before trusting/forwarding such emails, do check with me first or check out recent virus hoaxes at: http://vil.mcafee.com/hoax.asp

5. One last tip: Always BACKUP your important files on thumbdrives or DVDs - You can never know when a psychotic computer whiz writes a virus that is so powerful that it can wipe out everything on your computer the moment you connect to the Internet!

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