What Exactly Is A Virus?

A virus is a malicious program that gets into your computer and follows a set of instructions programed into it. It's usually programed to deliver a payload to the computer, sucking up resources and/or bandwidth. Some viruses will steal information from your system but logging keystrokes or alerting the programmer of a security flaw on your system. Others will deliver pop-up ads to your computer, also known as adware. There are literally thousands of types of viruses spreading through the internet. None are every welcome into any of our computers.

How Do I Protect Myself?

There are many things you can do to protect yourself from a virus. Here a few of our recommended tips on keeping your PC virus free.

• Keep your computer up to date - Windows updates are written to fix security flaws that have been exploited. Install them often to keep the obvious holes plugged.
• Keep your anti-virus up to date - Notice we didn't say "Install an anti-virus program"? Having one installed is without question a requirement. Most people tend to forget to keep it up to date.
• Install a firewall - Never ever ever ever plug the internet directly into your computer. Put a firewall in between your computer and the internet to block out would-be attackers.
• Be wary of what you download - Email attachments fall in this category as well. Don't download or install anything suspicious. Viruses spread through internet downloads and email attachments. If you don't know who it's from, DO NOT open it.

What Do I Do If I'm Infected

You can try to run your virus scan to see if it will remove the virus. It usually takes a couple full scans to completely remove a virus. Unfortunately, they usually hide in a disguised form which prevents virus programs to completely remove it.

Manually cleaning a system is the next step but it can be very complex. Webnser's staff is fully trained to diagnose and clean viruses from your system. Contact us to help you rid your computer of these nasty programs.