Anti-Virus Software & How To Stop Hackers

With all the anti-virus software options available today, it might be difficult to know where to start.

I remember in the 1990s when we didn't really think twice about anti-virus software, and for years i had a computer with no anti-virus protection. Nothing happened to my computer because of it, and everything was fine. However, as time has progressed, there is now a great need for all of us to have some kind of anti-virus software on our computers.

Why?

Well, there are so many forms of Internet viruses floating around cyberspace all the time, so you never know what you may accidentally download onto your computer when you click on - what you think - is a perfectly safe website. My anti virus software, McAfee, has Site Advisor, which tells me which sites have been checked by McAfee prior to me clicking on it in Google results. This lets me know if McAffee consider it 'safe' and i know that when i click on it i won't be getting any adware or spyware on my computer.

However, there are some people out in this world that love nothing better than to hack computers. It is a shame that people are still doing this, but i would imagine the situation will only get worse.

When my cousin was at University, he was telling me about how there were hackers located in the student Halls of Residence and some people's computers were corrupted. They all connected to the standard network provider at the Halls, and there was very little you could do if your computer got hacked into. My cousin had an anti-virus software package, but he didn't download the regular updates, therefore it did not stop him from getting his computer hacked into and he lost some important files, some of which were for his Dissertation.

So how do you stop hackers?

To stop hackers, you need to make sure you have up to date anti-virus software protection. Download the updates REGULARLY and do full computer scans on a weekly basis (minimum). Having a good anti-virus software program will help to keep Trojans, rootkits, worms etc (collectively known as MALWARE) out of your computer. Trojans allow hackers to take control of your computer and send spam and other harmful programs. Should you get one, a good anti-virus program knows how to quarantine and delete it without letting it cause damage.

The second important thing to do is ensure you have your firewall turned on. Windows comes with a firewall, which you can find out how to set up by going to the control panel and clicking on "Windows Firewall." There are also software and hardware firewalls which you can use, thus preventing people from hacking into your computer via USB ports etc.

Keeping your operating system up to date is important, because good hackers will know your computers vulnerability. Regular Windows updates are important. I think it is important to realise just how under threat any computer can be, and i know a few people that work with computers every day as part of their job, so they have the most up to date systems and anti-virus software. However, at home, they do not think it necessary to upgrade their computer or have any anti-virus protection, because they "don't use it very often". This is where it really is important to have your firewall turned on and also buy the latest virus protection software. An old Windows series computer (e.g Windows 98) might be of little use to you, but it is a hackers dream.

Finally, just be alert and aware of what computer issues there currently are. Don't be fooled by emails you get that you think are safe,as these could quite easily contain viruses. I get bombarded with spam phishing emails on a DAILY basis and it drives me insane. Emails from Paypal saying i have limited account access, that are actually not being sent from the Paypal company at all, and are designed to obtain my bank details etc. Thats the risk that comes with buying on eBay i guess.

There also other phishing emails, supposedly from banks, telling me i need to sort my account out. I don't even have an account with any of them, so i know they are spam emails and i never open them. Sometimes, they don't even get filtered into my Junk email folder, so then you really are at risk when they land in your Inbox, simply because you think they are safe.

I think it is really important to tell the older generation about all the potential computer threats out there, as i think it is safe to assume that many of them will not be aware of what threats there actually are. Warn them of opening suspicious emails and help them get sorted with the best anti-virus software available.

These are just a few steps we can take in helping to protect our love of going online.