If you’re like me, you probably don’t want to spend your time thinking about malware or viruses. You want to be able to get on with your life so you can focus on what’s important—like going to work, eating dinner and maybe doing a little shopping or exercising.
But it is important that we learn how to avoid malware on our Windows computers because there are some simple steps anyone can take even if they don’t have technical knowledge or special tools required for their job. Also, check out – 10 Best Drawing Apps for (iPhone & iPad) – BEST.
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Install and use Windows Defender.
Windows Defender is a free security program that can be installed on Windows 10, 8.1, and 7 computers as well as many other operating systems such as Apple’s macOS or Linux.
It provides protection against malware by scanning your computer for infections and removing them if they are detected. In addition to doing those things manually (which will take time), it also automatically scans new downloads for viruses before you download them so that you don’t have any surprises later on!
Upgrade to Latest Version Windows 10
Windows 10 is the most secure version of Windows yet. It includes Microsoft Defender, which has been updated to be more effective at detecting and blocking malware.
It also includes a number of features that improve your experience while browsing the web or using other apps on your computer. Some examples include:
Encrypt your data
Encryption is a good idea, but it’s not perfect. If you want to encrypt your data, it’s important that you use a reputable encryption tool and don’t overdo it.
- Don’t use weak algorithms: Don’t use 128-bit AES encryption with only two rounds of key generation (which makes brute force attacks easy). Instead, consider using 256-bit AES or better (or even better yet—the Advanced Encryption Standard).
- Don’t forget your password: Make sure that the passphrase is something long enough so that someone won’t try combinations until they get lucky and break into the system by chance.
- Also, you can use a router based VPN. It will help to secure all of your devices with just a single subscription. All in all, router VPN security can help you stay safe from hackers and it will change the IP of all of your devices so you won’t have any digital footprints which can be the biggest threat to your Windows PC and data.
Don’t click on links in email messages or IMs
If you get an email or IM from someone you don’t know, don’t click on any links. If it’s from someone you do know, ask them if they want to send an email with their link in it. The same goes for social media messages—just ask!
If the link looks suspicious or seems too good to be true, don’t click on it. If something has been compromised by malware (like a website), there could be other malware on this site as well that could infect your computer if you open the file or download something from there.
Beware of suspicious PDFs
If you receive a suspicious PDF and don’t know who sent it, don’t open it.
If you do open it and click on any links or download anything, delete the file immediately by following these steps:
- Right-click on your mouse or press Ctrl+Shift+Escape to bring up the context menu.
- Select “Open” from this menu and then select “Exit” from within that window (you may have to move your mouse around).
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Only download programs from sites you trust
One of the best ways to avoid malware on your Windows PC is by being careful when downloading software.
Programs are often distributed in an unsafe manner and have been known to contain viruses or other infections that can damage your system. To avoid this, you should only download programs from sites you trust.
Keep all your software up to date
Keeping your software up to date is one of the most important things you can do to avoid malware. It’s also an essential part of keeping your computer secure, because when a new version of a program comes out and it doesn’t have all the latest security fixes included in it, hackers will use that as an opportunity to attack your system.
To keep all software updated automatically:
- Install updates from the manufacturer at least once every six months or so (if they’re not already installed);
- If they don’t offer automatic updating but require manual installation, download them from their website;
Use a pop-up blocker
If you’re running any version of Windows, you can install a pop-up blocker.
The best way to do this is by using the browser’s built-in features. However, if your computer isn’t running Windows 10 or higher and you don’t want to go through the hassle of adding an extension into your browser (which could potentially slow down its performance), there are other options available:
- Chrome users can use the “incognito” mode in their web browser.
- Firefox’s users have another option called “Private Browsing”.
Learn to identify secure websites
When you open a website, there is usually a URL in the address bar. This can be used to identify if an infected website is trying to attack your computer or not. If it has the same address as one of your trusted websites, then it’s likely safe for you to visit that site and use its content without any harm coming from it.
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Conclusion
So, what do we make of all this? A few things:
First, Windows Defender is a great tool for detecting and blocking malware. It’s not the only way to do it, but it’s one of the best.
Second, don’t click on links in email messages or IMs—even if they come from people you know—because those are likely to be infected with viruses or other malware that can steal passwords or other sensitive information from your computer.
Thirdly (and finally), make sure all programs running on your machine are up-to-date regularly by following instructions provided by their developers or software vendors; otherwise they might be vulnerable too!
Finally – always use a pop-up blocker like AdBlock Plus when surfing online so it doesn’t interfere with content delivery because these annoyances can cause extensive delays when loading pages (which is especially bad if trying to get work done).
