Defending PCs against Malware, Spyware, & Virii

I’ve been getting more requests as of late for an article to cover PC security.  While user education is ultimately the best way to keep a PC running well, setting up the right protection before beginning your journey into Cyberspace will also help prevent problems from occurring in the first place.

Fortunately – getting the right protection doesn’t mean having to pay alot!  Here is a list of FREE software that you can download TODAY to help keep your PC running in top notch condition!

  • Change your default browser

Start by clamping down one of the most vulnerable spots on your computer – your internet browser.  “Drive by downloads” and much malware enter in through browser vulnerabilities. Download one of these two browsers (or both!) to stymie this threat!

FireFox (Opinion: Better privacy / no Google spying)
http://getfirefox.com

Chrome: (Opinion: Faster overall performance, less buggy/quirky)
http://chrome.com

These browsers auto update w. the latest versions as they are released – making sure you’re patched against the latest vulnerabilities.


  • Add an Ad-Blocker

Next, add an ad-blocker for your browser.  Many ads are designed to be “clickbait” – causing malware / spyware to potentially be loaded.  Eliminate this vector altigether by installing Ad Blocker Plus –  available for either of the above browsers:

Adblocker Plus:
https://adblockplus.org


  • Add Anti-virus, Anti-spyware, and Anti-malware programs

Next, since there’s no perfect defense, it’s time to add some memory resident program / scanners to shield against “bad” downloads in real-time, as items are being downloaded & stored onto your PC:

Malware Bytes
https://www.malwarebytes.org

Spyware Search and Destroy
https://www.safer-networking.org

For Antivirus, read these articles for free anti-virus, and choose what you think is best!

http://mobile.pcmag.com/security/19159-the-best-free-antivirus-for-2015

http://www.techradar.com/us/news/software/applications/best-free-antivirus-9-reviewed-and-rated-1057786

By having the protections above – a auto-updating browser, ad blockers, plus built-in defenses against bad downloads – we are several steps closer to keeping a PC running healthy.

Best of luck!

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