Scanning for viruses and spyware

If you use a computer, chances are you know of the dangers of viruses and spyware. The effects of viruses and spyware vary. They can be fairly harmless, such as hacking into your Microsoft Outlook contacts and sending spam to those on your email lists. Other times, it can be much more serious, deleting files and crashing your hard drive.

Scanning for viruses and spyware
One way you can protect your computer from viruses and spyware is through anti-virus software. Computer viruses circulate often and can be picked up in the form of a seemingly-harmless email or through other means. Damage from viruses varies. They can cause little damage or completely erase your hard drive and everything on it. Anti-virus software recognizes these threats and protects your computer from being harmed. Many anti-virus software also includes protection against spyware, which tracks what sites you visit.

In order for this to be effective, you should run scans for viruses and spyware weekly. Many anti-virus software will do this automatically, so you don't even have to think about it. You can also do it manually as well, or change the settings to scan at a certain time every week.

When scanning, the software scans your hard drive and information for anything or file that could be a threat. It then provides a way you can delete or at least quarantine the virus or potentially harmful file, so it won't damage your computer and information.

You should keep your virus protection software up to date. New viruses come out all the time, and anti-virus software has updates you should install regularly so you are protected as possible.

Other precautions
Scanning for viruses doesn't always catch viruses or spyware, however. The following are some tips to protect from viruses and spyware even further.

• - Don't open attachments. Avoid attachments from things like e-cards and other sources and don't download anything from a source you don't recognize.
• - Know what to look for. There are a number of ways you can spot what may be a virus. This includes misspelled words or names, getting an e-card or similar greeting and not knowing who sent you the card, a fake name (such as Secret Admirer, Joe Cool, etc.) an odd URL, or detailed instructions on how to "eliminate" a virus on your computer (this can actually end up putting one onto your computer.
• - Always read fine print before accepting any terms. Most people simply click I Accept and then ok when accepting terms and conditions to things online. Make sure you actually read the fine print before agreeing to anything. Some scams, for example, list in their terms that they can send spam to everyone in your address book. So make sure you know what you are agreeing to before accepting any kind of terms.
• - When in doubt, delete. If something looks off, such as the name of the sender or vague subject lines, just delete the card. It's better to do that than take the risk of viruses.

Viruses and spyware are just part of having a computer. The damage they can cause to your files is significant, so you should always have an up-to-date virus and spyware protection software, like Norton or Symantec, and scan your computer for viruses and spyware at least once a week.