Step 2
Make sure that you have up-to-date anti virus software installed
There are lots of ways that viruses and other malicious software can get onto your device.
Sometimes they could be hidden in an email attachment that you open or lurk on websites that you visit, they may also be on USB devices such as hard disks or memory sticks that you have shared with others.
Our first line of defence against malicious software (known as malware) such as viruses is our anti-virus application software. This software watches the websites that we visit, the emails that we download and the files that we open to check if there is any malware trying to infect our device.
Types of Malware
There are many of types of malware that will try to infect our laptops, tablets, desktop PCs or mobile phones.
Some will try to lock your files until you pay a fee to have them unlocked (these are known as ransomware), some will try to copy all of the things that you type to steal your usernames and passwords for online banking, email and other services (these are called keyloggers), some will try to take over your device without you knowing to steal your files or use your computer to attack other devices around the world.
Antivirus Software
With such an important job to do it is important that you have good quality, reputable anti-virus software that is up to the job and there are lots to choose from. Before making a choice its best to do your research and select the best option that you can afford.
Paid for antivirus packages often offer the most features but there are also a few good quality free antivirus software applications (such as Sophos for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android) but they don’t generally have all of the same features as the paid for versions.
Staying Up-to-date
Whichever antivirus software you choose, to be most effective they must be kept up-to-date with updates (these might also be called signature files). These updates tell the software about the latest malware and how to spot them before they infect your device.
The risk is, if your anti-virus software isn’t up-to-date with the latest updates the newest malware could slip through undetected. Many antivirus companies will send out one or more updates (sometimes three or four) every day, that’s why it’s essential that your software always updates itself automatically.
Infected?
So what do you do if the worst happens and you think that a virus has sneaked through your defences?
If you are not sure whether you have a virus or think that your current anti-virus program has missed one you can download a one-off scanner from another supplier, often free of charge to run and obtain a second opinion.
Many of the major antivirus companies offer this functionality and you can download the software from their websites.
Sophos have the free HitmanPro tool and Norton offer PowerEraser also for free (correct as May 2019).
These tools can be downloaded for free, run as standalone applications and remove any detected infections on your device.
