Nowadays, computers are very much vulnerable to getting targeted by hackers and there are viruses of all types of available that can infect your PC in different ways. If you have not protected your PC enough then your PC can easily be infected by viruses, therefore, it is important that you protect your PC from viruses and here are few methods that you can apply to protect your PC from viruses:
Install an Antivirus Software
As you set up your PC, installing antivirus software is an essential thing to do because when you connect to the internet then your PC become vulnerable to different types of viruses and it is good to have some sort of protection against those viruses so, they aren’t able to infect your in the first place and even if you were to install a virus program or file unknowingly, antivirus programs will detect it and prevent it from being installed.
Install Anti-Spyware and Anti-Malware Softwares
These are also protective programs that protect your PC from different types of Spywares and Malwares that can affect your PC in many ways. If your PC becomes infected by Spyware or Malware then it takes a lot of time until you recover it and bring it to its original state. Most of these programs are free and just need to be updated frequently to function properly.
Avoid Opening Unknown Links/Visiting Suspicious Websites
You will receive different types of links from people and they will ask you to visit those links. If the link is of a popular website then there is no harm in it, but if the link looks suspicious to you then avoid visiting that link as it can affect your PC and most of the time these links ask you to download malware in the form of programs.
Also, when you visit a suspicious website that is reported by the users then the browsers show up a notice asking you not to visit that website. You should avoid visiting such suspicious websites to protect your PC.
Avoid Opening Unknown Email Attachments
One of the commonest ways by which viruses spread is through email attachments. While the mailing services do their best to filter out spam emails, but still they can somehow end up in your Inbox. Before opening any unknown attachment, make sure that they are scanned properly and your PC doesn’t get viruses.
Set Up a Firewall
A firewall screen the incoming and outgoing traffic to your PC. With the help of a firewall program, you can control the inbound and outgoing traffic to your PC. This will prevent any sorts of viruses from entering your PC and also it can help prevent unauthorized access to your computer.
Avoid Downloading Cracked or Patched Softwares
Most people prefer to use cracked or patched softwares that are easy on the wallet, but these softwares can be a headache sometimes. These cracked or patched software have hidden, hard-to-detect viruses that cannot be detected easily and once you install these programs on your PC, your PC gets infected by those viruses without you even knowing.
Scan your PC Frequently
Sometimes the viruses may be hiding somewhere deep inside your hard disk and you may not be aware of them. You should set up automatic scans on a daily or weekly basis to keep your PC clean and safe from viruses.
Update your PC Regularly
Always keep your PC updated and whenever your PC gets a new update from Microsoft, update it as soon as possible because the bugs and vulnerabilities are fixed in the new update and in this way you will protect against most types of threats.