Protecting your computer is, very often, much easier than you might think. If you follow these four steps to prevent viruses, your computer won’t become infected again.

Take care with Java, Adobe Flash and Acrobat Reader

As we have seen in practically all the PandaLabs reports, these programs are a key target for cyber-criminals. That’s why it’s best to ensure they are always up-to-date or, if you don’t use them, uninstalled.

Viruses and malware can slip past antivirus programs and infect PCs by exploiting programs that haven’t been kept up-to-date.

Take care which programs you install

It is essential to be aware of what you’re installing or running on your computer. Virus creators earn a lot of money from programs or applications which, at first glance, seem harmless but can infect your computer when they are run. That’s why you should:

• Never open messages from unknown sources.
• Avoid non-secure web pages. You can recognize secure pages as the address begins with ‘https://’ and they display a padlock icon.
• Use secure passwords.
• Not provide confidential information via email.

Keep your Windows operating system up-to-date

Malware and viruses exploit security holes in outdated versions of Windows. To prevent this, you must install the latest security patches.

Windows makes this easy for you, so you can enable automatic updates so you don’t have to worry about it.

Use a good antivirus

A good antivirus can do much more than keep your computer virus-free. It can protect your identity and that of your business and can also prevent fraud when you shop online.

Find out what is the best antivirus for your needs from our new 2014 product range.

What’s more, if you have an antivirus with parental control, you can protect your children from danger on the Internet.

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