Set Up Your Antivirus

Answer these questions honestly,

1. What is the name of your antivirus provider?

2. When does your antivirus update itself?

3. Do you know what a virus definition is?

4. Can you scan a drive or file on your computer?

5. When was the last time you set your antivirus to do a complete scan of your system?

6. Did you load your antivirus system, or was it loaded onto your system for you?

7. If you had a choice, would you have your antivirus changed to something easier to use?

If you could not answer all of these questions, if you don't fully understand how to use your antivirus, you could be at risk. Your system could be infected right now without your having any knowledge of the infection.

But don't think you're the only one in fact I'll let you in on a secret, of all the computers I've repaired, all the people I have spoken to about computers and security, a very small percentage of those people actually answered most of those questions. The other much larger percentage of people have absolutely no clue at all.

So, how do we rectify this situation? How do you inform the masses? Maybe it's not information we need, maybe its an easier antivirus were looking for, one which is easier to read through, one which doesn't use technical words to confuse and scare us into leaving the system set just as it is.

Well I hate to disappoint anyone who thought I had the answer, I don't. I do however have a few lessons you can learn which may just be enough to allow you a better understanding of what your antivirus does and how to adjust it to meet your specific needs.

Quick and easy antivirus lessons,

1. Read, I know it sounds stupid but most people just skip through clicking next, next, next, when they load or set up a program. A bad habit to get into.

2. Research antivirus programs online, forums will give you a down and dirty on anything you're looking for. Find a program you think you can handle and check it out.

3. There are computer only magazines out there which do a very good job of comparing antivirus programs side by side. Buy one and start your research there.

4. Ignore the hype, just because a major manufacturer installs a particular antivirus in their systems doesn't mean it's the best. In fact it usually means that manufacturer struck a deal with the antivirus provider for the lowest cost possible.

Ok, these are just a few suggestions, something for you to start with, and if you at least read through to the end of this article then you have taken the first step in understanding your computer a little better than you did. It's a new world we live in, and new tools we use to socialize, take pictures, make memories, and do transactions with our money, and just like any other tool, we need to learn how to use it proficiently.