When using your computer there are active and passive ways to ensure your home PC is being protected against unwanted virus, trojan, and malware attacks. The active means is activities you participate in to protect and maintain your computer. The passive means is usually setting up a software program making some settings and then being able to forget it and let it perform its operation when it is set to perform that function.
Let’s look at some passive measures;
Firewall – Your firewall program, either as a separate program or part of an anti-virus suite, once its settings are at the level of protection you require – its done.
Anti-virus – Your anti-virus program will have a section for settings for an automatic scan, setup your preferred time and day for operation and set your repeat preference, usually weekly. Please note this operation will only be performed when your computer is on and running.
Email – Once your email program is setup for spam, your emails that come through that you have helped tell it what is spam and what is not, is set.
Internet settings – Found in control panel, ensure you have the highest effective operational settings that will always ensure additional security and privacy.
Computer not in use – Turn off both your home computer and your internet modem (unless the modem is in use via cable or wireless for other home users)
Let’s look at some active measures, additional actions for active measures are usually only required as an additional protection measures, or when one believes there are active infections on the home computer;
Firewall – Your firewall program may be opened and set its security to higher setting, useful when required to download software or updates and one still needs to temporarily connect to the internet.
Anti-virus – Update immediately, and run a manual scan.
Email – Once your email program is setup for spam, your emails that come through that you have, now require a manual check to ensure no legitimate emails are in the spam box as false positives.
Other means of active measures may include if you suspect virus activity, is to turn off connection to the internet, run a virus and malware scan, delete all temporary files and do this process again in ‘safe mode’ of windows.