For as long as the WWW (World Wide Web) has been around, the threat of viruses and hackers invading your computer has been present. They are an unfortunate part of Internet life, and we will never be rid of these dangers. However this isn’t a reason to shy away from enjoying the wonderful things the Internet has brought us. Without the “Net” many things we now take for granted would not be possible.

Fortunately there are things we can do to avoid getting caught. The first and probably most important step is to make sure you have up to date anti-virus software installed on your computer. The keywords there are “up to date.” No matter what brand of anti-virus software you choose, they are almost useless if you do not keep them regularly up to date. In fact this may be more dangerous, as you could be lulled into a false sense of security. Many now offer a live update feature, which automatically check for and download the latest virus definitions so your software can protect you from the very latest threats. These updates are almost a weekly event, so it is very important to either automatically or manually update these when first logging onto the Internet.

An example of the importance of making this the first thing to do was sometime ago when I logged on and immediately downloaded my emails. Unfortunately a brand new virus had been spreading around the Internet via email and not been detected by my anti-virus software. I was fortunate that my natural suspicion of email caused to me do an update before looking more closely.

Even with the safety of this software, you must always be wary of emails with attachments. Over 90% of viruses are spread by email – so this is where you should be most vigilant. Often they will have short messages like “here is the file you wanted,” or “this is fun please try it out.” They are often full of spelling mistakes and are usually sent from people you do not recognise, and even sometimes from addresses you trust – so ALWAYS be wary of opening attachments.

Viruses are usually sent from people who have your email address on their computer and are unknowingly infected. These viruses are rather tricky and automatically send themselves to any email address they find. They hide the real sender’s address by setting the “from” address to another email address found on the infected computer.  It may even appear to come from someone you know, if that person’s address is on the infected computer, but in reality you will have no idea whose computer it came from.  It is also possible that such a virus may send an infected email to someone else with your name as the “from” address.  Unfortunately there is nothing that you can do about this sort of identity theft, other than to keep yourself continuously protected in order to ensure that this doesn’t happen to your computer.

Finally, waiting till you are infected with a virus before installing or updating your anti-virus software is not always an easy solution. Many viruses once in control will stop software installing that can remove them. They can be hard to identify and eradicate, sometimes requiring expert intervention. So if you really want to enjoy the pleasures of the Internet without the pain of being infected, practise safe Internet and insist your computer wears virus protection.