Now that even Android smart phones and the like are starting to suffer from malware infections, it’s helpful to review a number of steps you can take to rid your Windows 7 machine of malware and spyware.
Viruses are just as common now as they were 10 years ago, even though most people have antivirus and antispyware software installed. Why? The biggest reason is that social engineering techniques that virus and spyware writers use to trick people into infecting their own machines still work.
It used to be that most people were wise to the “don’t open unknown attachments” rule for keeping infections to a minimum, but with pictures, video and tweets being shared a such a rapid rate today, it’s easy to open things unintentionally, so keep an eye out for that.
-Invest in some good anti-malware protection like Microsoft’s Security Essentials application that’s free for users with authentic copies of Windows 7 and Vista.
-Beware of links shared over social networks, even if they come from trusted contacts or friends, especially links shortened using “link shortening” services like bit.ly.
-Be careful what sites you access on public wifi networks. Access your banking and other sensitive sites only from the most secure of networks like your home or workplace.
These are only a few tips but they can go a long way to reduce the headaches many people experience every day from malware-infected PCs.
