Our PC and Laptop Virus Protection Guide

This guide is not intended to be the ultimate resource in the fight against computer virus however it will certainly help you on your way to keeping your PC safe and secure. We've used our years of experience in removing virus from computers and we want to share some of our best hints and tips with you. The tips on this page are in no particular order so we suggest you read them all.

1. Anti Virus Software

Possibly the most obvious but certainly the most important thing you can do on your PC is check you are running a suitable anti-virus program. You will be surprised at the amount of infected computers we see that have no anti-virus protection or a paid subscription has expired and not been renewed. Also make sure your anti-virus program is enabled and receives regular updates as new virus are released almost constantly.

There are many free and paid anti-virus programs out there. Personally we believe some of the free programs available now offer excellent protection for most home users. We have included a selection of links on our Help Page to reputable and safe websites where you can safely download and install some of our recommendations.

2. Firewall

Make sure you are using a suitable Firewall on your PC. A Firewall is a piece of software that basically acts like a line of defence for your PC. It can be configured to let your installed programs interact with the Internet as required whilst keeping any nasty programs away. Windows has a built in Firewall and there are also some excellent 3rd party products available.

3. Email

So many virus infections can get on your PC via a rogue email. These emails are very clever at looking perfectly innocent, they may even appear to be from someone you know. The biggest indication of a potential virus threat is if the email contains an attachment. You should be extremely careful when dealing with attachments as they could contain harmful code that will infect your PC.

If you are not expecting an attachment then we would suggest you double check with the source of the email that they have sent it or simply delete the email if you are not expecting anything and don't recognise the email address or subject matter.

A common email virus may appear to be from your bank asking you for some details or to login to a web page. Most banks will not ask you for any information via email. If in any doubt at all, don't respond to the email but call your bank and check with them.

We also suggest you change your email password on a regular basis as we have seen many instances of hackers gaining access to people's email accounts. By changing your email password regularly you will significantly minimise the risk your email being hacked.

4. Downloads

This is a subject we could write pages and pages on but here we will try to keep in brief. Quite simply almost anything you download from the internet has the potential to contain a virus, particularly programs. We suggest you only download files from reputable well known sites and be extra vigilant with any file sharing sites. If you wish to download music or video on line we would only recommend trusted, legal sources such as itunes.

Our Golden Rule for Downloads - If something looks to good to be true it normally is!

5. Rogue Anti-Virus Software

One of the most common problems we see if rogue software. This is a program that gets on your computer and tried to fool you into thinking there are serious virus' on your PC. They then offer to clean your PC for a fee, normally in dollars. This is more commonly known as malware and can be difficult to remove from your PC. It can disable your genuine anti-virus program and Windows Security Centre. It can also amend your web browser to stop you accessing the Internet. It can become a real nuisance on your PC causing contact pop-up messages and fake alerts.

In the event of this type of infection we would recommend getting in touch with us for expert advice.

6. Windows Updates

Your Windows software is most likely configured to download and install regular updates from Microsoft. If not you should perform regular checks for updates for Windows and install any important updates which can include security updates which can fix vulnerabilities in the software installed on your PC.

7. Cold Callers

We have had first hand experience of so-called anti-virus companies calling us to tell us we have virus on our PC and we must got to various websites and download and purchase software to clear it! These companies are very persistent and try to baffle you with jargon. They may know your name but when pushed for any specific details of how they have come to contact you they become suitably vague often suggesting they work for your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

We recommend simply hanging up. If you are in any doubt about the legitimacy of the call of the safety of your PC either contact us or your ISP for advice.

The information included in this guide is the opinion of Abbey Technologies and is provided in good faith. We don't accept any responsibility for any loss incurred as a result of using this guide.