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Every year you have to go to your doctor to get an anti-flu injection. You have to get one every year because the influenza virus mutates and adapts every year into a new strain. Computer viruses are exactly the same! Here are a few handy tips and hints to ensure the whole process is as painless as possible. But first things first –

• Use an AntiVirus Software – It is very important that your computer has an antivirus software running on your machine. By having an antivirus program running, files and emails will be scanned as you use them, download them, or open them. If a virus is found in one of the items you are about to use, the antivirus program will stop you from being able to run that program and therefore infect yourself.

See this link for a listing of some online/stand-alone antivirus programs: Virus, Spyware, and Malware Protection and Removal Resources

• Update your AntiVirus Software –  There is no point running an antivirus program if you do not make sure it has all the latest updates available to it. If you do not update the software, it will not know about any new viruses, trojans, worms, etc that have been released into the wild since you installed the program. Then if a new infection appears in your computer, the antivirus program will not know that it is bad, and not alert you when you run it and become infected. Therefore it is imperative that you update your Antivirus software at least once a week (Even more if you wish) so that you are protected from all the latest threats. If you are lucky then you will have an anti-virus product that will update itself automatically via the internet, but never blindly trust this. A large number of the more virulent viruses and trojans can deactivate your anti-virus software’s updating functions.
• Install an Anti-Spyware Program – Just as you installed and use an antivirus program, it is essential these days to use a Spyware protection and removal program. These programs can be used to scan your computer for spyware, dialers, browser hijackers, and other programs that are malicious in nature. The 4 program that I recommend are SuperAnti-Spyware, Spybot – Search and Destroy, andLavasoft’s Ad-Aware, and Windows Defender.A tutorial on using some of these programs can be found below:

Using Spybot – Search & Destroy to remove Spyware , Malware, and Hijackers

Using Ad-aware to remove Spyware, Malware, & Hijackers from Your Computer

• Commercial Spyware Removal/Protection Programs – If you feel more comfortable installing a commercial Spyware removal program then I recommend WebRoot’s Spysweeper or Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware Professional. Both are fair products and a worthy addition to the arsenal of software protecting your computer.

Spysweeper Product Information

• Occasionally Run Online Virus Scans – Unfortunately not all antivirus programs are created equal. Each program may find infections that other antivirus programs do not and vice-versa. It is therefore recommended that you occasionally run some free online antivirus scanners to make sure that you are not infected with items that your particular antivirus program does not know how to find. Three online scanners that we recommend are:
  • http://www.eset.com/onlinescan/
  • http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner
  • http://housecall.antivirus.com/

Every once in a while, maybe once every 2 weeks, run one or both of these scanners to see if they find anything that may have been missed by your locally installed antivirus software. Believe me, you will not regret it!

ARTICLE BY David Wiles, GERGA

For regular updates on the latest spam, malware and ransomware threats, please check or blog regularly.

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Elke jaar gaan jy dokter toe om `n griepinspuiting te kry. Jy moet jaarliks gaan omdat die virus verander en nuwe mutasies ontwikkel. Rekenaarvirusse werk presies dieselfde!

Hier is `n paar handige idees om seker te maak dat die proses so pynloos moontlik verloop. Maar eers vir die belangrikste en mees voor-die-hand-liggendste deel  –

• Gebruik Anti-virus sagteware – Dis noodsaaklik dat al jou rekenaars een of ander vorm van anti-virus sagteware installeer het. Die sagteware sal alle programme op die rekenaar, leêrs, sowel as e-posse nagaan vir potensiële virusse. Indien die program `n virus ontdek in `n program wat jy besig is om te gebruik, sal dit onmiddellik jou toegang daarheen blok om te voorkom dat die virus versprei.

Vir `n lys van aanlyn, sowel as losstaande anti-virus programme, kyk gerus hier.

• Dateer jou Anti-virus sagteware op  –  Jou anti-virus sagteware is heeltemal nutteloos as jy dit nie gereeld opdateer en sekermaak dat die nuutste weergawes gelaai en op datum is nie. As jy nie die sagteware opdateer nie, sal dit nie weet van die nuutste virusse, wurms en trojaanse bedreigings wat op gereelde basis in die kuberwêreld vrygestel word nie. As `n nuwe infeksie dus te voorskyn kom, sal die sagteware nie weet dat dit kwaadwillig is nie en jou nie waarsku wanneer dit op jou rekenaar installeer en dit besmet nie.
   
  Dit is dus nodig dat jy ten minste eenmaal `n week jou anti-virus sagteware opdateer (selfs meer as jy verkies) sodat jy beskerm is teen die nuutste bedreigings.  As jy gelukkig is, sal jou anti-virus produk self outomaties opdateer vanaf die internet, maar dis nie wys om dit net blindelings te vertrou nie. Maak eerder self seker dat jou sagteware op datum is. Baie van die gevaarliker virusse en “trojans” kan selfs jou anti-virus sagteware se opdateringsfunksie deaktiveer.
   
• Installeer `n Anti-Spyware program – Net soos dit nodig is dat jy `n anti-virus program installeer, is dit ook nodig om `n anti-“spyware” program te installeer.
  Hierdie tipe programme word gebruik om jou rekenaar te beskerm teen “spyware”, “dialers”, sagteware wat jou webblaaier oorneem, sowel as enige ander kwaadaardige sagteware.
   
  Die vier aanbevole programme is SuperAnti-Spyware, Spybot – Search and Destroy, Lavasoft se Ad-Aware, en Windows Defender. Tutoriale vir sommige van hierdie programme kan hier onder gevind word:

Hoe om Spybot te gebruik – Search & Destroy vir die verwydering van Spyware , Malware, en Hijackers

 Hoe om Ad-aware te gebruik om Spyware, Malware, & Hijackers van jou rekenaar te verwyder

• Kommersiële Spyware verwydering- en beskermingsprogramme – As jy meer gemaklik is met `n kommersiële Spyware verwyderingsprogram, gebruik WebRoot se Spysweeper of Lavasoft se  Ad-Aware Professional. Beide is goeie produkte wat waardige toevoegings is tot die arsenaal vir die beskerming van jou rekenaar. (Spysweeper-inligting)

• Loop af en toe aanlyn `n virusskandering – Ongelukkig is nie alle anti-virusprogramme ewe goed nie. Elke program mag ander infeksies optel wat die ander moontlik nie kan nie. Daarom is dit wenslik dat jy sporadies ook gratis aanlyn anti-virus skandeerders gebruik om seker te maak jou rekenaar is nie besmet met iets wat jou eie anti-virus sagteware nie kan optel nie.  Die drie handigste programme hiervoor is:
  • http://www.eset.com/onlinescan/
  • http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner
  • http://housecall.antivirus.com/

Gebruik so elke twee weke een of albei hierdie programme om te sien of jou anti-virus sagteware iets gemis het. Jy sal nie spyt wees nie!

ARTIKEL deur David Wiles, GERGA

Vir gereelde nuus oor die nuutste spam, malware en ransomware, kyk gerus op ons blog.

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