Whenever you go online, your PC's risk of getting infected by a virus or malware increases manifold.
This is an unfortunate fact of the online world that as much great information there is floating on the internet, there are also as many viruses and malicious programs trying to get onto your computer.
There are, however, a few precautionary measures that you can take to keep your computer relatively free from viruses, trojans and other malicious code: 1.
Monitor the programs installed on your computer, and always make sure to uninstall any programs that you do not remember installing, or programs that you don't need.
Many times, malicious programs install on your computer via some backdoor.
Keeping your PC clean is the first step you can take to keeping it healthy.
2.
Always use a high quality anti-virus and anti-spyware software.
There are a plethora of such software that you can download online.
Some are free, some you have to pay for.
When it comes to anti-virus and anti-spyware, paying a few bucks for a professional grade software is actually worth it.
3.
Always scan any files that you download with your anti-virus/anti-spyware software.
Downloads are the number one way for viruses and malicious programs to leech onto your computer.
A quick scan will easily tell you if the file you just downloaded contains any code that you should be wary of.
4.
Always use a firewall.
Microsoft comes with an inbuilt firewall.
Make sure that it is turned on.
Firewalls can keep unwanted software from entering your computer.