Safety on the Internet - To Click or not to Click?

One of the misconceptions I hear from customers is that if they have an anti-virus program on their computer they won’t get a virus.  We get computers in all the time that already have Norton, McAfee, and other full AV programs that are fully corrupted with Trojan viruses, spyware, and other malware.  The viruses have disabled the anti-virus programs.  You have to remember that the nasty virus companies are coming out with new threats daily, so the anti-virus companies have to play catch-up.

At Lake County Websites and Computer Repair, we get quite a few computers in with varying degrees of Malware.  Some computers have actual Trojan and other viruses whereas some have what we call junkware.  Junkware are programs that usually come packaged with other downloads.  Most people inadvertently download these add-on programs.  One of the reasons that your anti-virus programs don’t catch some of these junkware programs is because they are not actually considered a virus.  They can be very annoying though, popping up and preventing us from working.

What we all have to realize is that the user has to be smart on the internet to prevent viruses and other malware.  We can’t just rely on our anti-virus programs.  That big flashing button that says you need to upgrade or the big green download button is more than likely an ad to entice you to download their junkware.

There are several ways to get a virus including going to unscrupulous websites that install malicious software automatically on your computer.  Remember, if you are going for a walk down the ally of the bad part of town you are more likely to run into trouble.

Another way to get viruses is from email attachments.  Don’t be fooled by the fake emails from banks, Fed-X, UPS, USPS.  They sometimes look pretty real with logos and all.  Instead of clicking on these attachments or links in the email, just open your web browser and go to the website and log in to see if there are any issues with your account.

The other thing to be aware of is people that call you on the phone and say they need to fix your computer – always a scam. 

To learn more about computer and internet safety, see my complete video series HERE