Your computer is constantly at risk to become infected by a virus, malware or spyware. Now, add into the equation the possibility of having your computer hacked, overwhelmed by spam and phishing emails, or even worse, picking up a network virus that can spread from one device to all the devices connected to your network. How do you protect your devices and data???
The best defense is a good offense! I recommend installing good Internet Security software along with a malware removal tool to work in conjunction with it. This software should have an email scanner as one of its components to alert you and to remove any identified phishing or infected emails as they are loaded onto your device. I also recommend installing a free program called CCleaner which is a one-step cleaner for your desktop or laptop computer. Often a piece of malware or spyware will lodge itself into your computer in an internet cookie or temporary file, and this software will remove it.
A good offense also includes gaining the knowledge as to what high-risk behaviors to avoid. Learning to eliminate certain behaviors will decrease the chances of picking up an infection. These activities include: downloading shared files, such as movies or music, from illegitimate sources and downloading and installing any free software without first doing investigative research confirming it is from a harmless site. To be on the safe side, I suggest you use the “preview pane” setting for your incoming emails. In that way a right-click on the email pane will allow you to review the email’s properties and return address to confirm it is from a legitimate source.
To learn more about how to protect your devices and data read my Tips and Tricks page, or follow me on Facebook, Google+, or Twitter.