4 Common Sources of Computer Viruses

When you think of computer safety, the first thing that comes to mind is avoiding and preventing computer viruses. Everyone knows that a computer virus can destroy your laptop to the point where it’s completely non-functional. If it hasn’t happened to you before, then it’s happened to someone you know.

The thing is, we never really talk about how we get viruses in the first place. You probably have a firewall on your computer, but you should still know where viruses come from.

In general, viruses attack through four mediums. Even though you typically use them every day, there’s still steps you can take to protect your computer.

Internet

An obvious way to get a computer virus is through the Internet. You should always exercise caution before you download any file or document. Always check the source and be particularly careful of .exe files. At any rate, use an anti-virus software to scan all files before downloading.

Email

Besides randomly downloading files on the Internet, email is the next most common source of viruses. Be careful of downloading email attachments that are forwarded to several addresses. If you receive an out-of-character message from a friend or family member, send the email right to your spam folder.

Removable Storage

Viruses from removable storage may not occur as frequently as the from the aforementioned sources, but it’s still a possibility. Don’t let just anybody plug a flash drive into your computer. And when they do, have the files checked by an anti-virus software.

Bluetooth

Even less common than from removable storage, viruses can also come from bluetooth transfers. You can unknowingly have a virus transferred to your computer through a bluetooth transfer. Again, the answer is to use an anti-virus software to check all files gained through file transfer.

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