Here’s Some Tips To Help Keep Your PC Healthy!
Tip #1:
You’re already doing one of the first “right things right”. You’ve
ditched Norton, McAfee and Microsoft Security Essentials in favor of a
respected antivirus solution. Generally I recommend something like Avast
Pro, Kasperski, or AVG Pro… but Trend Micro doesn’t generally have a
bad reputation.
Trend however was one of almost half of all antivirus companies that has been slow in responding to, and protecting you from, the recent Java based exploit.
Tip #2: Your tech is actually right (though it goes against popular belief) about the fact that in the very early days of a particular virus it often evades every virus scanner out there. We routinely deal with ones that go around before the antivirus companies are able to write a corrective file.
It’s
kinda like vaccinating for the flu. Someone has to get sick, a sample
has to go to the lab, the lab has to analyze it, and a vaccine has to be
prepared which unfortunately all takes time! (And in the meantime, more
people are catching the darn thing!)
Tip #3:
Regarding the ”162″ thing… don’t let that scare you. Viruses are like
teenage kids throwing a drunken party… if one can get in, and you’re not
home… they invite ALL of their friends. It could have been 1, 7, 83,
162 or 561 just as easy. I’ve cleaned up systems in every realm.
Majority of the time, this is made worst by the fact that the first one in deactivates the antivirus!
Tip #4:
I know some others have given you advice about possibly switching to
the antivirus known as AVG Pro. Lately, I prefer AVAST Free and Pro over
AVG. Trend usually is a pretty decent company and I wouldn’t be fast to
fault them as guilty in this situation.
We’ve used both-all in
client systems in both retail and enterprise. Everyone has their
favorites but the differences are splitting hairs. (Generally though,
pro trumps often free for a number of valid reasons in terms of added
security.) Currently, I personally use Avast Pro and I put it into
“gaming mode” aka silent mode to minimize it’s resources when I’m
hosting a webinar event.
Bitdefender, Kaspersky, etc… all of these big name antivirus companies are “generally” good and “good enough”.
Tip #5:
One thing is important to note… never try running 2 antivirus programs
at the same time. One will stop the other from working and visa versa…
but it happens silently. Unfortunately, this is happening a lot lately
with people that have enabled Microsoft Security Essentials (which
sucks) and then have a real antivirus. The two conflict and you get
negative protection.
In this case, unfortunately, the two guard
dogs simply end up fighting on the front porch while the burger sneaks
in the back door.
Tip #6: Be sure your using a
router at home. If your computer is plugged straight into your cable/dsl
modem… you’re sitting duck. Go to Walmart/BestBuy, etc and get a
router. It goes between your PC and your main internet connection.
(Either by a cord from the router to the system or by a wireless
connection from the router to the system.)
While yes, it can add
wireless, extra ports etc, one of the most important thing it does is
make it substantially harder for critters that are literally just
roaming around the web to get right up to your PC’s doorstep. Its a
rather foolproof layer of easy-to-add security. Most people today are
using a router already but if you’re not, thought I’d note it. For this
particular use, a midrange router is just as good as a high end router.
No need to spend a ton.
Tip #7: A good MALWARE
scanner… is different than a virus scanner and may or may not be built
into a “pro” version of a virus scanner is something you also want.
Malware scanners do not generally in-fight like antivirus scanners do.
Three examples are Ad-Aware (they have a free version), Spybot Search & Destroy (free), and Malwarebytes.
These
don’t necessarily need to be left running if your system is slow but a
good once a month run will head off trouble. (AA and MB both have a real
time scanner though I believe that would make you even more safe if
your pc is fast enough to not be bogged down by adding it.)
Effective
handling of MOST types of malware however has been one of the things
I’ve found that Avast Pro is doing a great job at currently. (Check your
version of Trend and see if they have a malware scanner built in. If
not, get one, if so, then your likely set.)
Tip #8:
Several people that responded mentioned a Mac… well… that’s an idea.
However, the problem is that while, yes “not virus proof” many of the
viruses that DO affect them are “rootkit” and require a complete wipe of
the system often including data lose if you don’t have a remote backup
(and a remote backup can harbor the nasty buggers).
Rootkits exist
in PCs as well but given that you had a “clean up” rather than a full
reformat, I’d say you didn’t face one. (I honestly MUCH PREFER a clean
reformat, every time possible for a whole list of reasons, but that’s a
planned attack.) Now that macs can be affected by “drive by” infections
where no user interaction is required, their rate of infection is
escalating rapidly. There are plenty of perfectly good reasons that some
prefer mac, but you have to consider that option with open eyes and a
wide grasp of the bigger picture. All Mac users still require a good antivirus and a healthy dose of common sense.
Tip #9:
Regardless of whether you’re on Mac or PC, be sure you have a
dual-backup system. (Yup, dual!) As a business owner, you have a lot
riding on the data on your system (including tax prep).
Generally,
the advice is to have a primary backup “in the cloud” or to an external
drive that is not physically in the same geographical region as you
are. (Literally, out of state) The reason for this is that you want your
primary full backup to be immune to the risks of flooding, tornadoes
and other natural disasters. That’s one of the reasons the cloud is
convenient.
Two cloud based tools that are industry-grade and worthy of your time to look at include Mozy Backup and Carbonite Backup.
Then
as a secondary backup, take your most precious files, including your
business documentation, and your kids photos, onto a disk or two… and
take them to a family members and get them into a fire proof box there.
Offer to do the same for them. (We are not counting on the media to
survive in the safe in a fire, most people do not have safe rated high
enough for the media to survive.) This gives you a local copy of key
critical files.
Today, no mother has to go through the horror that
mine did of losing ALL of our baby pictures in a house fire… and having
to piecemeal through friends and family to try to re-build the two
small albums I have today.
Tip #10: One final
tip, if your computer (or more often a laptop) is regularly turned off,
it is possible that the antivirus has not been updated and ran in weeks
or months due to the system never being on and online at the scheduled
time. Particularly with laptops (and desktops that are turned off) you
should check that the scanner has been run recently.
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