|
|
How To Prevent Macro Viruses
|
When it comes to preventing the spread of viruses on the Internet, most people think that a strong firewall and a good anti virus program will take care of everything and that their behavior, by and large, doesn’t really matter, when in reality, the behavior of the user is often a major factor. It is the user that helps to determine what files get downloaded, what programs get installed and what websites are visited; all behaviors that can lead to viruses being contracted. One of the most common types of viruses currently in circulation are macro viruses. Don’t let the complicated name fool you, a macro virus is simply a virus that is written into another program. Let’s take a look at where you get these types of macro viruses from and how you can get rid of them.
Most often, macro viruses are installed on computers thanks to programs we download from the Internet. While no accurate count could ever really be made, there are currently millions of freeware and shareware programs currently available for download online. These programs can do everything from cleaning your computer’s registry to adding new toolbar functionality to your web browser and more. For the most part, these programs are simple and virus free, but some of them are actually carriers for viruses that have the ability to take over your computer. In some cases, the fault lies with the site you download these programs from. They can add on a few lines of code that weren’t there before. This is why you should only download programs from the manufacturers’ website or from safe sites like Download.com, run by cNet. If you are unsure about the safety of the program you want to download, perform a simple Google search to see what other luck people have had with it. Otherwise, you may be spending part of your day uninstalling macro viruses from your machine.
In addition to making sure that you never download programs from questionable websites, you can also reduce the impact of macro viruses by never, ever opening attachments in emails without scanning them first. It is also a good rule of thumb to never open attachments that come from people you don’t know. Most email programs now have automatic scans of attachments that will block you from downloading them if a virus or bug is detected.
If you feel that you have already come into contact with a macro virus, you can still save your computer assuming you are prepared. First, attempt to back up all of the files on your hard drive so that your important personal information and work is protected. You will then want to run your preinstalled virus protection software so that it scans your entire computer. Even if that program tells you that worms and viruses have been detected and removed from your hard drive, you may still want to run your anti spyware or anti malware programs just to be sure. One final step you can take is to leave your computer on that evening and run your virus scan one final time just to be on the safe side. Macro viruses can be quite troublesome, but if your computer is protected and ready, you shouldn’t have much trouble.
|
|
|
|
> Antivirus Software 
