Although computers do come with manuals, they do not come with instructions on how to protect them from viruses and malware. Unfortunately, you cannot leave your computer unprotected if you hope for it to live a long life. In the second quarter of 2012, virus outbreaks increased by 90%. Furthermore, almost 45% of the time, malware became installed due to something that the computer user was tricked into doing. Do you know what steps need to be taken to avoid letting malware infect your computer?
First, to protect your information and your computer, you must make sure you have a security program installed. While there are several anti-virus and firewall programs out there, ZoneAlarm firewall and ZoneAlarm free antivirus are both highly rated. Even better, you can download ZoneAlarm free of charge.
A ZoneAlarm free download can help you establish a firewall, which serves to protect confidential information such as your passwords, bank account, and credit card numbers that might otherwise be accessed by hackers. What happens is that hackers look for unprotected computers, and use programs to find weaknesses in computer security. If your security system does not block these hackers, they can get into your information and steal anything that has been stored there.
Second, you can be careful on the internet and avoid accidentally installing malware. Here are a few guidelines.
- Do not click on un-trusted or strange looking links.
- Do not click on popups.
- If you do open a spam email, never download pictures or click on a link.
- If you get any strange messages over social media, do not click any links within them. Verify with the sender that they meant to send you that link
You can download ZoneAlarm free of charge, and also be responsible with your internet use to start protecting your computer instantly. Remember that computer protection is only as valid as its last update. New malware is coming out constantly, so to fully protect your computer you should always have the latest service pack updated for your free fire wall and antivirus. For optimal protection, make sure your operating system is updated, use spam filters, and update your browser.
