Each day some new viruses are developed, which are aimed at damaging computers or the data stored on them. To counter this problem, antivirus programmers develop new virus definitions and updates for dealing with new security threats. Though there are many antivirus and antispyware programs available in the market, still there is a lot which we often neglect and fall prey to these attacks. Let us see some ways by which we can protect our computers.

Step 1. Backups – It is good to implement many security measures. You should regularly backup your hard drive or folders to stay protected and prepared to deal with situations of hard drive failures or data damage caused by viruses.

Step 2. Installation Disks – You should always keep a separate copy of restore disks ready with you. These disks can be used for restoring the entire operating system along with the other software so that you can easily reinstall the entire operating system and software in case needed. Just imagine a situation when your operating system fails and you do not have any disk to reinstall it.

Step 3. Firewall – Firewall is a software which protects your computer from any incoming infections, attacks, or intrusions. It works as a boundary of your computer and checks the authenticity of every data packet before it could enter your computer. Microsoft has bundled firewall in all its operating systems since Windows XP SP2 and you should always keep it ON and updated.

Step 4. Antivirus – A good quality antivirus software has become a must for any computer and most of the computer manufacturers sell their computers with some good antivirus pre-installed on them. Antivirus software is necessary to detect and remove any kind of viruses. They work with the help of virus definitions and thus it is very important to keep your antivirus software regularly updated.

Step 5. Windows Update – Since most of the viruses are written for Windows operating system, so even Microsoft regularly releases security updates to close all the loop holes for minimizing virus attacks. Thus it is always good to have Windows Update ON and let them install as and when required.

Step 6. Be aware of security risks – Many a times while browsing through CDs, or websites we install many small games, programs, add-ons, plug-ins etc just for the sake of checking what they do. Try avoiding this habit. You should not install anything and everything on your computer as such files may carry infections. Also do not open e-mails which contain attachments and you do not know who the sender is. E-mail attachments are the easiest mode of spreading Internet viruses.

Step 7. Use Strong Password – Always use strong password on your computer so that no one can access it without your consent. Keep your computer security tight enough so that an administrator password is required before installing any new application.

Step 8. Use advanced web browsers – Web browsers are vulnerable to virus attacks. Most of the viruses are scripted keeping the architecture of specific browsers in mind. So if your browser gets infected, switch to some other browser with advanced security features.

Step 9. Block spam – As already mentioned, e-mails are the easiest mode of spreading infections, so do install some kind of spam protection in your e-mail client so that spam mails are discarded.