Keeping Your Computer Clean

After you've made sure your computer is free of the various types of malware, how do you keep it that way?

Here are some tips:

• Antivirus Program
  Make sure your antivirus program is operating correctly and has the latest virus definitions. There should be an icon in the Systray (next to the clock) which when clicked will show you the current status.
  Don't think you can let the subscription for new definitions lapse and stay safe. The program needs to be updated continually.
• Firewall
  Computer users with a broadband connection must have a firewall, either a hardware device or a software firewall such as Zone Alarm. People with dial-up accounts may be in less danger, but Zone Alarm offers the same sort of protection and for the price (free) it is a good choice.
• Spyware and Adware
  New anti-spyware programs are coming onto the market, and even Microsoft has gotten into the business and is offering a program for free. Be careful if you buy a program that it comes from a reputable maker; some of the programs being sold don't do what they are advertised to do.
  The other defense against spyware is you. Don't install browser helpers such as search toolbars and weather information programs if you aren't sure that they won't install spyware on your computer.
  Spyware and adware installations are hard enough to avoid that the regular checking may be required. If the program you use doesn't provide continual monitoring, you will want to run the program regularly to see of anything needs to be removed. Start out doing the checks weekly; you can change that to a shorter or longer period of time based on the number of items which are found each time.
  If fewer than 20 problems are found, you probably are doing a good job keeping your computer clean. If you have more than 100, you may need to alter your web surfing habits and stay away from the sites that are compromising your computer and run checks more often. If you have more than 1,000 items that need to be removed, your computer's operation is seriously compromised.
• Windows Updates
  If you are running a version of Microsoft's Windows operating system, making sure it is up to date is important as well.
  For those running Windows XP or an older verion, you are out of luck since Microsoft no longer supports them. Since firewall and antivirus options also are limited for those operating systems, they really aren't safe for Internet use.
  Most users would be well-served by leaving the automatic update option in Windows turned on so that their computer will automatically get the updates they need.
  
• Phishing
  The main defense against becoming the victim of a phishing attack is the operator. Don't click on links in e-mails concerning financial organizations or to respond to requests for personal information. Reputable businesses don't make such requests.
  If there is a legitimate e-mail from an organization that you do business with, you should be able to go directly to that company's web site (without using a link in the e-mail) to get the same information.