Safety First When Downloading and Installing Programs
Not only people can get virus. Even computers can get those annoying buggers. Do you want your PC or MAC to crash just because you were careless enough to let one small virus eat up its way around your files?
Most computer viruses come from the countless programs the World Wide Web offers. Each one of them is appealing and tempting for the modern-day consumer. However, a smart consumer knows that before buying (some require credit card payments) or downloading a program, a thorough research must have been conducted beforehand.
Some say that searching for the appropriate programs for your system is very much like searching for the right appliances for your home. That is not exactly the case. The former is more complicated than the latter.
With appliances, there is an assurance of what the product does. Also, there is a warranty. Once, the appliance you bought is not functioning as much as you would want it to, you can always have it replaced or get your money back.
Whereas with programs, you have no idea what the CD can do to your system the minute you put it in. There will always be side effects so how do you gauge the possible risks involved?
The reason why you are resorting to a program is because your computer has needs which you want to satisfy. Nonetheless, some programs cause changes into your system the minute they are installed. You have to figure these out all on your own.
Here are some tips you can apply when buying programs:
1. You must know as much as you can about the program before you download or install this into your computer. The free program offers may be quite inviting but you must be updated on the possible changes it can contribute into your system once you have installed it.
2. There must be a refund/return policy. Do understand these important terms just in case the program you bought does not meet your expectations and standards.
3. Buy from a local store with a credible reputation. Read up on the best place where you could get the program that you need.
Moving on to another situation, what about those programs that can easily be downloaded from the web? How would you know whether these are worth installing into your system? Sometimes, these programs are virus-carriers because of their easy access.
That being the case, these steps can help you determine whether it is worth downloading and installing or not:
1. Ask yourself this: what does the program do? The webpage (when you’re downloading it online) or the CD-Rom (when you’re installing it on your computer) must clearly state the exact description of the program for the customer’s benefit. Learn as much as you can but you must also take into consideration the credibility of the author.
2. Ask yourself whether you are okay with the changes that will occur in your system upon installation of the program.
3. If the author is stated on the webpage or on the CD Rom, the better. In that case, you can contact him via email or telephone and ask about the program first-hand.
4. Testimonials from previous customers are also good information you can rely on when researching on the program. Naturally, they would have experienced what you eventually would.
Some customers go with their instincts. Regardless, they are careful enough to back-up the important files and folders from their systems just in case the program creates a problem and their computers go awry.
There are programs which help you prevent the virus from entering into your system in the first place. It is best that you have this in your computer. But you must also note that there are situations wherein the computer will not be able to instantly recognize a virus.
For example, you clicked open a forwarded message in your inbox containing a virus. Now your computer had a hard time detecting this virus. You may have an anti-virus program installed into your system but these situations still do happen.
In the end, you must always rely on you. Read up on the program you want to install or download. Check on the credibility of the information stated on the webpage or the CD Rom. Contact the author if you can to verify the statements. And always back-up!
In this modern Information Age, computers are necessities in life. Whether we use them for simple functions such as typing our homework and business reports, up to more important acts like online business meetings and transactions, one cannot deny that computers are a big part in our daily lives. Using a computer, particularly the Internet, is one task that even a ten year old can do at this particular period in time.
With the growing increase of popularity and reliance on computers, as well as the demand for it, security risks have also gone up, which is a reality that cannot be ignored. With the billions of information bits being spread across the World Wide Web, hackers and computer intruders (criminals) see the value in focusing their attention to computers and the Internet. The information they would retrieve here is (more often than not) more useful than when doing it the old-fashioned way.
As such, these intruders have devised some methods into getting information out of computer users, with or without these people knowing that they’ve been hacked into. As is the case in real life, there are some computer programs that are disguised to be innocent, but actually act as spies, providing information to the intruders. These malicious programs which are security threats are called computer viruses.
Computer viruses should not be taken lightly. They work in many different ways; one of them may be to provide data to the one who planted the virus. Other viruses can simply be annoying - slowing down your computer, building unwanted files, etc. – while some can be very disruptive, such as deleting your hard drive, compromising your operating system, etc.
As such, there are different types of viruses which normally differ in how they function and how they are spread. Examples of these include Trojan horses, worms, email viruses, and logic bombs. It would be important for you to know these kinds of viruses in order to better protect you from them, as well as to have the proper programs to get rid of them.
Trojan horses are simply computer program that cannot reproduce themselves, but can do damage anywhere from minimal to extremely dangerous. It usually disguises itself as a common file (maybe an .mp3 music file or a .jpeg picture file) but does the damage when the computer user opens it. This is why you should take extra care when opening a suspicious looking file – it could very well be a Trojan horse.
Worms are self reproducing programs that mainly use security holes in order to spread itself throughout the network. If your computer is infected with a worm and is able to replicate itself a number of times, this usually causes your computer to slow down noticeably since it uses your computer resources and memory to do so. They often use security flaws in operating systems (such as Windows) in order to self reproduce.
Email viruses are self explanatory – they spread via email. Once a user opens the infected email, what it usually does is send itself to other computer users via the email addresses found in the user’s address book. Because it uses email and a lot of people open emails without really checking or being careful, it spreads very quickly across the entire world and can cause chaos within just a few days.
Logic bombs are viruses that target specific computer applications, causing them to crash (for example, Windows). This can also be spread via email attachments or by innocently downloading it off the Internet. It can cause a great deal of harm (particularly if it infects Windows and the like), or just a small amount (small program).
Fortunately for computer users, there are anti-virus programs available anywhere, whether in the Internet or at the computer shop. These programs specifically target over thousands of viruses and wipe them clean from your system (if infected) or protect you from incoming attacks (if not yet infected).
Anti-virus programs are constantly updated (normally everyday) since there are always new virus definitions each day, and you can get infected by these new viruses. These software developers are always researching about the newest viruses to ensure you, the user, are protected from these viruses as much as possible. Your PC security and safety are always being considered.
