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It seems like every week we are bombarded by new computer threats, websites to steal our identity, and email the wants us to embezzle money. With all the scares pouring in, it’s hard to even want to turn the computer on.

To help quell your fears, I’ve put together a short list of tips and tricks to help you feel more secure and to keep your computer healthy.

1. AntiVirus
   I get asked all the time which Anti Virus vendor is the best and the truth is;  Just Pick One.  With companies like Symantec and McAfee offering premium choices and others like AVG and Avast offering free versions, there’s no reason not to have one.  Don’t let your budget stop you from having the protection you need.
2. Anti-Spyware/Malware
   Spyware is exactly as is sounds.  It’s a type of software designed to track your online habits, preferred websites and potentially collect personal data from your computer. Malware is short for malicious software.  Not only can malware track you browsing, but it can create pop-ups that makes it seem your computer is teeming with viruses,  in an attempt to coax you into buying their software (popular variants include AntiVirus2010).  There are many tools available (many at no cost) to remove spyware/malware.  Though,  in my travels, I’ve grown to favor MalwareBytes’ Anti-Malware.  MalwareBytes is a premium software with a free option (I’ve had great success with both versions).  Thankfully MalwareBytes isn’t your only option.  There are other great spyware/malware removers out there. Such as: Ad-Aware and Spybot Search & Destroy.
3. System Cleaners
   If you’ve ever had a virus on your computer, ran a virus/spyware scan and still had it stay on your computer (even though the antivirus/spyware found and removed it).  This is probably due to the “source” file being hidden from the scanning software. I’ve found that a good file cleanup is paramount to successful removal of viruses.   I have a few “go to” utilities that I use regularly.  The first is Glary Utilities.  Glary Utilities is actually a compilation of tools that run concurrently.  Not only does it clean up temporary folders on your hard drive, but it’ll do a Registry Scan too.  Which is very helpful to getting rid of the baddies.

   Although, on occasion, I’ll need to use ATF Cleaner (Windows XP and 2000 only) to clean up areas that Glary Utilities and Microsoft System Disk Cleaner tend to miss.  Thankfully ATF Cleaner is a free and easy software to use.  Just download it,  run it, choose the “Select All” option and then grab a cup o’ coffee while it’s doing it’s thing.

4. General House-Keeping
   Now that you have the software needed to keep your computer happy,  you need a plan. First thing,  create a schedule for the Antivirus software to update and scan your computer (check with the vendor to get full details on handling this task).  Now do the same for your anti-spyware/malware software.

   Now that those two bits are taken care of, it’s time to schedule a system cleanup and Defrag.  I recommend running the system cleanup before you run a defrag.  You can browse Microsoft’s website to locate instructions on how to schedule a defrag.

5. Things to Consider
   The internet can be a scary place,  but not so much if you’re prepared.  Here’s the things I keep in mind while browsing:
   • When it comes to email,  If i don’t know the sender I’m not opening the email.
   • If it looks suspicious,  it probably is. Avoid It.
   • Only download software from a trusted source (such as the company’s website)
   • My bank will never ask me to change my password via email.  (if you’re unsure, call your bank and ask)

Congratulations on making it this far.   By following these steps you can greatly reduce the risk of damage to your computer and loss of data.   I said it before,  but I feel like it’s worth mentioning again:  Keep all your software updated.  Your antivirus cannot stop new threats if they don’t know about them.

With that said,  good luck and Happy Browsing.

-Michael-