The last few weeks have seen the rise of the so-called “Internet threat”. People are taking several Security Tips to Protect Your Computer. Due to this, different measures have been taken to prevent online attacks by viruses and worms. However, even if a computer is protected by a firewall, shortcuts, Trojans or other means, it is possible to be infected with a virus.

According to security experts, applications that are not completely updated are the most vulnerable to attacks by viruses and worms. About one month ago, the well-known worm, Worm:Win32/Nyxem-D Leban, wreaked havoc on computers that were not running any kind of Antivirus software.

This worm was amix of several other viruses including:

• Win32.U Wordstejavirus.Bi refers to a Trojan horse program that harvested email addresses from a number of email clients including Outlook, Outlook Express and Mozilla Thunderbird.
• Win32.VB Homeplace does not replicate to other computers and is categorized as a network attachment virus.
• SpyAssassin also known as Thunderbird is a network attachment virus that has the ability to steal e-mail addresses from various computers on a network.

However, newer versions of antivirus software such as AVG, Avast! and others have increased their defenses levels against such attacks. Having the right security software for your computer is therefore important.

According to security experts, the new versions of antivirus software will help provide better protection at a lower cost than older ones. However, to fit the budget of a small and medium sized business, it is best to buy licensed versions of antivirus programs.

However, according to Norrin Radd, CIO at software development firm Electus Digital, it is better to invest on software that provides excellent risk reduction than spend on software that has limited coverage.

“If your budget allows, and you’re comfortable with the idea of potentially losing money due to a virus, on the BACK of your minds, provision for virus proofing is a must,” he said.

To help keep your computer virus free, the such programs include those that provide cloud protection, data back up and integrity.

Protea Antivirus is a highly recommended product amongst those conducting business online as it is a user-friendly, effective and affordable. It provides updates every hour and scans your entire computer network 6 times per day. Protea Antivirus sits along with other antivirus software on your computer and scans your computer against a variety of threats.

Spybot Search and Destroy is anotherRecommended product amongst those conducting business online. It detects new spyware and viruses as they are emerging. Some of the recent threats that it has Checked out include:

Aside from providing threat-specific updates, it also has a resident e-mail scanner that allows you to monitor any e-mails that are received by the computer. It also has a control panel that allows you to set up various security features for your particular computer or computers.

It is relatively easy to set up and use requiring only minimal maintenance. Spiesware is often installed with other freeware programs that can be downloaded from the Internet and is difficult to remove. It operates behind the scenes, thus blocking the visibility of the user’s computer.

It is important to first download and install all updates to your computer in order to ensure that it has the most current protection database. If you haven’t done this yet, there are some new items to download including the Norton Anti-virus, McAfee VirusScan and Panda Antivirus. A few clicks of the mouse will confirm that these new items have been added to your download and ensure you have the latest protection available to keep your computer safe from virus attacks.