Antivirus Software: Fighting back Against Computer Infections
Many computer users adopt the ‘it will never happen to me’ policy,
but there are a number of computer viruses out there just waiting to infect
and destroy the information contained on their hard-drive. This is why companies
invented anti-virus software, which is a program that automatically helps
to detect the presence of viruses on a computer or in a file before it is
opened.
The Internet Risks
Anyone who spends a considerable amount of time surfing the internet, visiting
unfamiliar websites or downloading photographs is at a higher risk for computer
viruses than those who do not. Computer viruses are typically attached to
word processing documents, computer programs and images which, if downloaded,
may instantly affect the computer’s performance.
If a computer virus infects a computer, the owner may immediately lose everything
in their computer and may be forced to use the factory restore disk. This
CD, which is accompanied by most new computers, will restore the computer
to it’s original factory settings.
Anti-virus software
Anti-virus software is quite affordable considering it’s wealth of
use. Without it, computer users are at constant risk for computer viruses.
Anti-virus software can generally be found at any computer manufacturer’s
website, retail store’s electronic department or online at many retailers
selling computers.
Anyone who suspects that their computer may be infected with a virus should
refrain from sending any e-mail messages or uploading photos to family or
friends. Otherwise, the virus may spread to infect their computers as well.
Anti-virus software is available most commonly on a CD-Rom, but may also
be downloaded from some manufacturers. By double clicking on the software,
the anti-virus program will begin to perform a scan of your entire computer.
As it progresses, it will give you an update on any potential located viruses
or files that may be of concern. In addition, some anti-virus software will
allow users to scan a single file before opening it.
For example, if a computer
user were to download an image but wanted to run a virus scan on it prior
to opening the file, he/she could click on the anti-virus software and direct
it toward the file in question. The anti-virus program would scan the file
for potential viruses and will post the results immediately on the computer
screen. This will allow the computer user to know which files are safe and
which are not.
In today’s world, anti-virus software is to computers as Tylenol is
to headaches. It’s both a preventative approach and a cure for certain
ailments affecting a computer. If a user does not have anti-virus software
pre-installed into their computer, it is recommended that they purchase a
program immediately before logging on to the internet.
