 | How To Keep Your Computer Virus Free When Browsing the Web |
Have you ever been causally surfing the web not looking for anything in particular and then all of a sudden you computer starts acting funny.
It starts acting like it has a mind of its own.
Well if it is, you may have gotten a virus on it. Many viruses pretend to be anti-virus software when it gets on your computer. This is a common deceitful trick that virus do. They make you think they are trying to help you stop viruses when in fact it is a virus.
To try to understand how you got this virus, you may need to go through several steps. The first thing is to totally disconnect from the web or from the network. If you are running on a wireless router, then shut it off immediately. You do not want to be on the network because the guy who sent you the virus may now have access to your computer and your personal information on it.
Well if it is, you may have gotten a virus on it. Many viruses pretend to be anti-virus software when it gets on your computer. This is a common deceitful trick that virus do. They make you think they are trying to help you stop viruses when in fact it is a virus.
To try to understand how you got this virus, you may need to go through several steps. The first thing is to totally disconnect from the web or from the network. If you are running on a wireless router, then shut it off immediately. You do not want to be on the network because the guy who sent you the virus may now have access to your computer and your personal information on it.
|
Cut them off as immediately!!
Next, get and extra external hard drive from a computer store. This is to back up your entire PC before the virus can do any more damage. They are very inexpensive and it is recommended If you are already diligent in making backups, you do not want to plug in your existing back up drive into the infected PC (use a different one)
The second thing you need to ask yourself is whether or not the website that you visited today was a quality website. Chances are that if you honestly feel that it was and this is how you got the virus on your computer. If it is, then I recommend somehow (maybe from another computer) that you contact the webmaster of the website immediately.
Do not wait for months to go by because others may get affected.
It is very possible that the webmaster didn't even know if virus code was added to the webpage since all websites are usually are hosted by a 3rd party web hosting company.
If the website was a shady website then I obviously recommend staying away from it all together. Illegal download sites are one example of an easy way of getting a virus. If you use moral judgment you can probably make that determination pretty easily.
A lot of times websites will prompt you to download and run something that seems legit and once you do this, you now have a virus and you computer is now corrupted. One way that viruses disguise them self is that they may make you believe that it is part of a website when in reality it has nothing to do with someone's website. This is an easy way for a virus to misdirect the computer user.
I would also highly recommend getting an anti-virus program to protect your PC. I recommend Avast anti-virus software. It is a very low resource anti-virus software that is also free to use.
Avast has the ability to scan the website and report whether they feel it is legit and virus free before displaying it in the web browser. You can visit their website here.
However, standard anti-virus software like Avast, McAfee or Norton may not always be able to catch a virus. If you feel that you have a virus and want to test a particular file to see if it is infected, then please visit this website: virustotal.com. It will run the file through over 40 different anti-virus programs and will report to you whether or not the file contains a virus.
Next, get and extra external hard drive from a computer store. This is to back up your entire PC before the virus can do any more damage. They are very inexpensive and it is recommended If you are already diligent in making backups, you do not want to plug in your existing back up drive into the infected PC (use a different one)
The second thing you need to ask yourself is whether or not the website that you visited today was a quality website. Chances are that if you honestly feel that it was and this is how you got the virus on your computer. If it is, then I recommend somehow (maybe from another computer) that you contact the webmaster of the website immediately.
Do not wait for months to go by because others may get affected.
It is very possible that the webmaster didn't even know if virus code was added to the webpage since all websites are usually are hosted by a 3rd party web hosting company.
If the website was a shady website then I obviously recommend staying away from it all together. Illegal download sites are one example of an easy way of getting a virus. If you use moral judgment you can probably make that determination pretty easily.
A lot of times websites will prompt you to download and run something that seems legit and once you do this, you now have a virus and you computer is now corrupted. One way that viruses disguise them self is that they may make you believe that it is part of a website when in reality it has nothing to do with someone's website. This is an easy way for a virus to misdirect the computer user.
I would also highly recommend getting an anti-virus program to protect your PC. I recommend Avast anti-virus software. It is a very low resource anti-virus software that is also free to use.
Avast has the ability to scan the website and report whether they feel it is legit and virus free before displaying it in the web browser. You can visit their website here.
However, standard anti-virus software like Avast, McAfee or Norton may not always be able to catch a virus. If you feel that you have a virus and want to test a particular file to see if it is infected, then please visit this website: virustotal.com. It will run the file through over 40 different anti-virus programs and will report to you whether or not the file contains a virus.