10 Ways To Protect Your Computer From Trojans/Viruses

For the better part of 15 years I have been working with computers on a technical level. I've cleaned more viruses from computers than I would like to admit, so I decided to put together a list of very helpful tips. Please note that even though this is fun to read that these tips should be taken seriously.

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First and most importantly! - Create an admin account on your computer and change your everyday user to a standard account. If you do get infected, the virus will not have admin rights to your machine! It won't be able to install anything or modify any critical systems in your machine. This tip is the most critical by far!.

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Uninstall Adobe Flash Player. I know your probably saying "Why would I do that? I can't watch Youtube or play Farmville on Facebook!!" Well what you may not know is that Adobe flash has more holes than a piece of Swiss cheese and no matter how many updates the put out for it, you just can't fix bad code/programming.

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Install an Anti virus client! They can be found for free and there is no excuse for not having one.. Microsoft offers Security Essentials (Microsoft Security Essentials) -

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Download an Anti Mal-ware program like Malwarebytes - This is by far one of the best tools for keeping you computer clean and spy ware/malware free. (Malwarebytes) -

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Don't just click because you can.... Just because it's on Facebook doesn't mean it's safe. No one is really going to sell you car for 25 cents a car(ex), so stop clicking on the links. This type of attack is called click jacking and it's one of the most common ways PC's get infected!

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If it sounds to good to be true.. It probably is. Like watching "The Big Bang Theory" episodes for free a week before they come out. Do not install anything on your machine that's not from a reputable source. This includes Active X controls and "plug-ins".

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Update your computer the Windows Updates and also keep your browser/s (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Internet Explorer) up to date. Windows, Linux, or even Mac OS X all get updated regularly to plug holes in security that the programming and support teams find.

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Spam isn't just for eating. Spam is something in the corporate world that plagues many companies and users. If some prince in Nigeria says he has 5 million dollars for you, that should be your best clue that the email is bad news. Who it's from- Emails from sdc2@#dd@misseddeliveries.dhl.com is not a real email address. Before I forget if you get an email from a friend with a link or a file with a .exe at the end, delete it and call the person to inform them that their E-mail has been hijacked or they are now a spam bot.

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Don't turn off you're Windows Firewall unless you know what your doing. I know it can get in the way of your Torrent downloads which 99% of the time are illegal anyway and filled with Viruses and Malware... Your firewall is the first line of defense in a PC so learn to use exceptions and that can be learned from some simple googling.

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Common sense is key. If you think before you click you won't have to spend $50 to $200+ getting you PC cleaned off or wiped and reloaded. Also don't get mad at the computer repair person because you have to shell out the money. He didn't infect the computer, but he might be able to help you prevent it from happening again. -

Hopefully this serious but light hearted post will help some people. Home and business network security should be taken very seriously. Billions of dollars are spent every year dealing with the aftermath of viruses and spyware. One of the most expensive repercussions is identity theft, which can be one of the most damaging things to your credit and your family's well being. Web content filtering is another way to keep your children and or employees from going to those unwanted sites. SkyByte consulting provides network firewall security services and also works with clients to provide disaster recovery solutions. -