Computer Repair & Best Free Antivirus Software
“Unprotected computers form the backbone of botnet and DDoS attacks, so installing antivirus software is a must.”
Going without antivirus protection isn’t an option. Even if you don’t care about your own computer, leaving it unprotected could let cyber-crooks turn it into a zombie minion and force it to participate in DDoS attacks. Right now, if you have any computers without an antivirus, you need to install protection, and you don’t have to pay a penny. (“DDOS is a type of DOS attack where multiple compromised systems — which are usually infected with a Trojan — are used to target a single system causing a Denial of Service (DoS) attack. Victims of a DDoS attack consist of both the end targeted system and all systems maliciously used and controlled by the hacker in the distributed attack. According to this report on eSecurityPlanet, in a DDoS attack, the incoming traffic flooding the victim originates from many different sources – potentially hundreds of thousands or more. This effectively makes it impossible to stop the attack simply by blocking a single IP address; plus, it is very difficult to distinguish legitimate user traffic from attack traffic when spread across so many points of origin.”)
While paid antivirus utilities tend to do the very best in our lab testing, there are plenty of excellent free antivirus choices, too. Because they are free, you can take the time to consider what’s the best free solution for your situation. That’s the nice thing about free antivirus; you’re not locked in by your choice. You won’t be wasting 40 or 50 dollars if you decide to switch. Which is best for you can depend on your situation.
Do I need to back up my Computer?
Even if you’ve taken precautions to protect your computer from malicious software, other potential dangers could destroy the information it holds. A power surge, lightning strike, hardware failure, or natural disaster could leave you without your important data or the use of your computer.
Backing up your files can help you avert disaster. Backing up is simply making an electronic copy of files, and storing that copy in a safe place. If you back up your files regularly, you can retrieve some of your information, if not all of it, if something happens to the originals on your computer.
Some Tips for backing up your Computer:
- Use an external hard disk, CDs, DVDs, or other storage medium for your backup copies. Or upload data to an Internet-based file-storage service. Whatever you do, don’t just copy files to another location on your hard disk.
- Label the medium with the date and time of the backup. Don’t erase the previous backup until you have made a new one.
- Back up anything you can’t replace easily, such as financial information, digital photos, music or programs you bought and downloaded from the Web, and school projects. For these types of files, you can simply copy and paste the file into the backup medium.
- If you use an email program that is installed on your computer (such as Microsoft Outlook), back up important email messages and your email address book. Some email programs include an export feature for backing up important data.
- If you’re trying to save time or space when backing up your computer, consider backing up only your personal data. Don’t copy programs like Microsoft Outlook or your operating system. They can be reinstalled from the original DVD’s you purchased or from the system-restore DVD’s that came with your computer, or they can be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website.
- If you use your computer occasionally, back up your data once a week. If you use your computer every day, a daily backup of the files you use most often or modified that day is a good idea.
- To be sure you’ve backed up every file, use backup software. A list of backup products can be found on the internet. Your operating system may also include backup features.
- In case your computer’s hard drive fails, make sure you have a copy of your operating system on a DVD for reinstallation. If your computer was shipped without a copy of the operating system, contact the manufacturer for a for a copy. A lot of computers have software built in to them for you to burn DVD’s for the restore disk. If you need me to do it bring it in I can make them for a reasonable cost.
- For more information on how Computers Done Right can help you with backing up your data or selecting a free antivirus software contact Computers Done Right. I do Computer repair and Virus removal as well as Website Design and Social Media Marketing. For all your computer repair needs go to www.computersdoneright.com.
