McPheron Media

  Antivirus program do's and don'ts

One of the most important additions to your new computer or laptop is a decent antivirus and spyware program to protect you from the vast amount of nasties laying in wait to infect your system and wreak havoc. When buying or downloading any type of security software, there are a few do's and don'ts to keep in mind.

• Do keep your AV program up to date at all times. Having the software installed is one thing, but if it is not up to date and current, you are opening yourself up to the thousands of new viruses that are unleashed daily.
• Do spend time researching when buying or downloading any type of security software to ensure the program will meet your needs.
• Do make sure to download a seperate Spyware program. Having a dedicated AV program and also a dedicated Spyware program can be more thorough.
• Do a full system scan with your AV program weekly. This means every file on your PC. This ensures there aren't any hidden possible infections lurking on your machine.
• Do be careful if you are downloading any kind of files using Peer to Peer. Files can be named to appear like it is something it is not and may be harmful. As an example, if you search and find a music file that is only around 34kb, it will almost never be an actual music file. Tread lightly and always be vigilant with what you download.

• Don't download any programs you are not sure of. There are an incredible amount of fake antivirus or spyware programs around that prompt you to download them and then, in turn, infect your system and can cause alot of damage. If you get asked to download a specific program out of nowhere, google the name of the program and read up on it before you do anything. It's better to be safe than sorry.
• Don't open attachments if you do not recognise the sender. McMedia does scan all incoming mail, but, again, it's better to be safe than sorry.
• Don't enter any kind of sensitive information to a website if the website doesn't appear to be secure. To find if a webpage is secure, you should see a small padlock in the status bar at the bottom of your internet browser.
• Don't download software from questionable websites. Some of the more seedy websites out there can be the origin of spyware or viruses.
• Don't run multiple AV programs on the one system, as some programs can conflict each other, leaving you susceptible to the viruses each program is trying to protect you from. 

Following these tips will help you find the best form of protection for your system. If you'd like to discuss anything in this article any further with one of our technical consultants, please call 1300 735 868 between 7:30am - 9:30pm weekdays and 9am - 9:30pm weekends or email support@mcmedia.com.au.