There are many viruses and worms out there that could infect your computer. Not all of them are going to completely destroy your data, but they are always a hassle to deal with.

Steps

• Be careful about using MS Outlook. Outlook is more susceptible to worms than other e-mail programs, unless you have efficient Anti-Virus programs running. Use Pegasus or Thunderbird (by Mozilla), or a web-based program such as Hotmail or Yahoo.
• Invest in some security software. You can buy suites of software, usually called Internet Security packages, that do the whole hog, such as Norton Internet Security or Kaspersky Internet Security. However, you can also choose to install them separately:

Install an Anti-Virus program. Examples of these can come from Norton, Kaspersky, Sophos or McAfee. Also available is the free AntiVir virus scanner. Make sure you keep your virus definitions updated and run a full system scan weekly.

Install an Anti-Spyware program. Examples of these are Adaware SE, Microsoft Defender. They defend against Internet malware and spyware. Just like an Anti-Virus program, keep it updated, and do a full system scan weekly.

• If someone sends you an attachment in e-mail or instant messaging, do not open it immediately. If it is a picture, text or sound file (these attachments often end in the extensions .txt, .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .bmp, .tif, .mp3, .htm, .html, and .avi), you are probably safe. If someone you know very well sends you a Word attachment or other type of file, e-mail them to ask them if they meant to send it to you. If they say yes, you can open it, but you might still be at risk if they are not good about running Anti-Virus scans or careful about what they download. Always scan them before you download them. Be wary of attachments with a double extension, such as .txt.vb or .jpg.exe, as the system will only recognize the extension to the extreme right, and run the file as such. Double extensions are often a good indicator that the file is malicious.
• Do not use disks that other people give you, even from work. The disk could be infected with a virus. Of course, you can run a virus scan on it first to check it out, but AV programs are not 100% effective.
• Do not download files from just any old website. If it is a reputable site that you trust, you are probably safe. The threat is not only from software; don't download Word documents or other non-HTML files that have something other than one of the extensions listed above, either. Make sure that you scan every file that you download, wherever it's from.
• Set up your Windows Update to automatically download patches and upgrades. This will allow your computer to automatically download any updates to both the operating system and Internet Explorer. These updates fix security holes in both pieces of software.
• Consider switching to a different web browser. Other web browsers (such as Firefox, Google Chrome or Opera) are considered to have much better security than Internet Explorer. Other benefits include much faster loading, customisibility and ease of use. Plus, they're both free.
• Be careful when surfing. You can get a malicious script from a webpage and not know it. If you have Internet Explorer set up for the maximum security settings, you are probably safe. If you use Firefox, you can download the NoScript extension, which allows you to easily control which websites are allowed to run scripts and protects you from other threats such as click-jacking. If you ever get a window asking if you want to allow an automatic install, say "No" unless you know the site requesting the install.
• Read about the latest virus threats so you are aware of the potential danger. Go to Symantec's page to read about them daily.

Tips

If you are aware that some malware is currently downloading or installing on your computer and you can't cancel or shut it off, the best thing to do is to immediately turn off your computer by the switch, not the shutdown menu. This will put it to an abrupt stop and will not give the download or installation time to finish. When you turn your computer back on, if you have enabled your system restore then restore your computer to the most recent time period before the installation or download took place. Otherwise, run your anti-virus software before doing anything else on your computer.

• You might want to consider not using Windows at all. Other operating systems, such as Mac OS X or Linux, are much less susceptible to viruses.
• When using peer to peer programs to download files such as songs or videos, always remember the following:
  • When downloading a song, always make sure it has a bitrate and make sure that it is a normal one, such as 128, 192, 320 etc. If you see a song without a bitrate, it is obviously not a song at all and a potential virus. Also check the size of the song; A normal song will usually be between 1,955 KB and 6,607 KB depending on the bitrate and length of the song. Some songs may be larger or smaller, but keep in mind that a song of (for example) 38 KB is either a very very short song, or 87% of the time will be a virus. Also the same with an excessively large file, say for example you're searching for "Love is All You Need" by "The Beatles", and you come across a file that is 100 or so MB, don't download it.
  • When downloading video files, keep in mind that video files don't have a bitrate, if you see a video file with a bitrate, don't download it. Also, video file sizes vary a lot, so it is difficult to give an estimated margin as with sound files, but it is not hard to use common sense. For example if you are looking for a short clip, and you find a file that is 900 MB, chances are, you have either found the entire video, or you have found something that is other than what it says. Full movies usually lay around the 700 MB range, so keep that in mind when searching for a full movie. In addition, note that if you have downloaded a video and (after having scanned it with legitimate anti-virus software) it plays, but a message shows up stating that your video software is "not compatible" and that you should go to such and such site, don't go to the site, it will probably not be safe, and delete the file immediately.
• If using an operating system that supports system restore, always make sure it is active before you download anything.
• Be vigilant! Constant vigilance is a must in safe computing. Any abnormalities in operation, or trouble with the system, should be taken as the result of malware and should be treated as such. If you so much as suspect that your computer is compromised, run a virus scan immediately, it never hurts.
• Do not panic. If you believe your computer has been compromised, and a virus is found, take a step back and survey the situation. If your antivirus software cannot remove the virus, and you do not believe you are capable of handling the job, simply remove your computers internet connection, and call a professional technician.
• Some antivirus products come with a self-booting recovery disk. These often can repair infections that standard antivirus software, running under Windows, can't.
• Try to balance paranoia with common sense. Some people get really weird about viruses, spyware, etc. Back up your data regularly and follow these steps, and it shouldn't be a big problem.

Warnings

• There are worms that use exploits in popular programs, email in particular, to execute code and infect a system. In most cases this is the most prevalent method of worm replication using Outlook or Outlook Express.
• The easiest way to avoid this is to keep current with Windows Updates, and also to disable the Preview Window.
• Never click on any page advertisements or pop-up ads, these are usually very misleading and sometimes potentially harmful.
• If you do not believe you can handle a virus removal, contact a professional or experienced user. Removing the wrong files, registry keys, or browser helper objects cvirusan wreck havoc on your operating system.
• Note that your backup may also infected by virus. Consider whether to use them.

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