Virus Protection to Conquer Data Loss

Virus Protection

Although virus attacks are not the biggest cause of data loss, but accounts for about 7- 15% of all data recovery incidents. Since, it is impossible to ignore this threat, you can take some preventive measures to protect against data loss due to this factor, such as

• Use antivirus software:
   
You should consider virus protection as an important measure to protect your computer from data loss. You can purchase the software from any store that deals with computer software. If you can’t install software on your computer, then you may use an online virus scan, which is being offered by many antivirus companies-Symantec, McAfee, and Trend Micro.

• Update Virus Definitions

Make sure to keep your virus definitions timely updated because new viruses are formed all the time. You are advised to download updated virus definitions at least once per week.

• Periodically Computer Scan

Although, many antivirus programs run in the background automatically, it is still recommended that you run a thorough virus scan at least once a week.

• Scan e-mail attachments

Do not accept email attachments if you don’t know where it came from or what is it. Since, e-mail attachments can be one of the causes of a virus attack, you should scan all e-mail attachments before you send or receive an email.

• Do Virus Check for all incoming files

You got a friend through a chat or are casually sharing a point of view with somebody through an instant messenger without realizing that it could spread a virus too. Yes, that is another way that a virus distributor does his job. Therefore, it is not wrong to be extra careful when chatting with an unknown person. Make sure to virus check all the files you receive.

• Disable Auto Opening of Emails

If you are receiving an email that automatically opens, then you are putting your computer at risk. Make sure to disable your email program to automatically open new messages so that you get a chance to delete suspicious email before displaying it.

• Scan External Disk Before Opening it

If you don’t know the person who gave you a floppy disk or any other removable media, then do not open the files before running a scan.

• Remove Floppy Drive While Restarting your Computer System

One of the causes that virus can enter your system is when you restart the computer where the floppy disk is already inside the floppy disk drive. These viruses are designed to affect the system BIOS or may even format the hard drive.

• Update your Systems Regularly

You may prevent the entry of a virus by performing software updates regularly. Two of them being Windows update and Office Update.

The best way to protect your valuable information against virus or any other threats would be to back up the data regularly and keeping the backed up data offsite (away from your computer). This will prevent the back up disk being infected by a virus. You can use a data backup software as the software simplifies the Backup process by taking periodic backup with full and incremental option. One of the popular data backup software is Stellar InstaBackup - Data Backup Software

Stellar Information Systems Limited is an ISO 9001-2000 certified company specializing in data recovery software and data protection software, services and solutions. Stellar offers a complete solution of file recovery software and deleted file restoration programs for Windows (Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, 2003, XP), Apple Macintosh, Novell, Linux, Unix operating system and FAT, NTFS, NTFS5, HFS, HFS+, NWFS, JFS, EXT2 and EXT3 file systems.