Originally Posted on April 19, 2019

Anti-Virus & Cleanup Protocol

 There are several important things to remember about keeping your computer safe.

Be Careful:

1. Do not install anything on your computer when you do not understand why you are installing that specific program. Just because something asks to be installed does not make it legit.
2. Move carefully on the Internet. Do not search for websites that you already know. Just type addresses into the address bar at the top of your browser.
3. Do not look for phone numbers for computer product support on the internet. You can find some correct numbers, but the odds are against you.
4. Do not allow anyone into your computer. Exceptions to this are the vendors for your software and hardware. And some onsite support.
5. Beware the upgrade. Many items on your computer will regularly update, but anything that suggests an UPGRADE is likely to cost you money.

 Current Tools:

1.  We always recommend an anti-virus. Most of those on the market, whether paid or free are good. None of them are great. You can buy more coverage, but the bigger the program, the harder it makes the computer work. Most anti-virus programs have virus protection both active, and on-demand scanning, some add a firewall solution, and several other tools.
2. You should have Malwarebyte’s Antimalware.(It also has a free or paid version) This program is on-demand scanner and removal tool. It looks for assorted non-viral threats like adware, spyware, and Trojan actors. It should be run when you suspect something has gotten in from the Internet which is acting badly on your system.
3. Our third tool is CCleaner. It is designed to remove the debris and detritus (also known as Crap) from computer systems. It pulls temp files and marketing cookies from your system.
4. Your browsers are important. One manual step needed is to open your browsers, and look at your installed add-ons and extensions. There are a couple of ways to get there, as each browser is different, so you may want to call me or Google for the correct access to these items. You want to remove anything that you didn’t intentionally install, or that the software designer didn’t put in. Some legitimate items are Google Docs, Adblock Plus, and various anti-virus add-ins. Almost no add-ins are required, and all of them can slow down your computer.

My normal recommendations are for quarterly cleanups.

UNLESS. You see something that makes you nervous. If you do get nervous, clean before you start to worry. It takes very little time (about an hour). And if you clear everything these programs find, you will probably beat the bad guys to the punch.

Any questions,

Call me

Any questions, Any Time.

Call Tom Hall at 704-619-9643

Holler If You Need Us!