DACS Malware Removal Toolkit
Part 3 – How to Avoid Getting Malware
Strategies that everyone should use, to avoid getting malware:
- Update Windows (or your other operating system) regularly (but be careful of Microsoft’s automatic update, as it will reboot your computer and you will lose unsaved data!)
- Update your software applications (especially internet browsers and Flash) regularly
- Use multiple passwords (rather than using one password at every site)
- Use free supplemental anti-malware scanners in addition to a full anti-malware application
- Use anti-malware software and update it regularly
- Have your anti-malware software scan your entire system occasionally
- Have a couple of different online software applications scan your entire system occasionally
- Use a hardware and software firewall (but use only ONE software firewall)
- Be careful of downloading “free” software (such as from giveawayoftheday.com, which frequently includes toolbars or changes the default browser)
- Exercise care in opening email file attachments. Set the options in applications like Word and Excel so that they warn you before thay run embedded macros (BTW, jpgs and gifs are always safe to open)
- Set the options in your browser(s) for high safety regarding Java permissions and for a prompt before it runs ActiveX controls
Additional strategies, if you want to be especially careful:
- Avoid websites that are not associated with known companies
- Consider using Mozilla Firefox browser with its “popup blocker”
- Be careful of following instructions from Comcast and Charter (as the author knows of two instances where technicians told people to do things that caused their computers to get malware)
- Maintain at least two different email addresses. Use one for trusted friends and clients. Use the other for companies and junk mailer situations, knowing that this email address may be sold and traded around companies. This will reduce the amount of mail that you receive in your main address, and you can trust the emails more. You will also know to treat the emails from the second address with more care.
- Modify Windows Explorer so that filename extensions are displayed. Then you will know what type of file you are opening, if you download something.
Software Firewalls:
Full Anti-Malware Applications
(Install only one ONE full anti-malware application)
- AntiVir
- Avast
- AVG
- BitDefender
- Kaspersky
- McAfee
- Microsoft Security Essentials
- Symantec
- Trend Micro
Free Supplemental Anti-Malware Scanners
- CCleaner
- MalwareBytes Anti-Malware
- MalwareBytes SUPERAntiSpyware
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