A number of viruses have been popping up lately affecting our clients and their computers so we wanted to share some information with you.
AAAHHHCHHOOO!!!!
You have probably heard the saying, singing the alphabet, while washing your hands, is the best way to stop the spread of the flu virus and the common cold. Did you know that your computer is more likely to get sick this time of year than you are?!?! In fact, it could be sneezing right now! When the reports came out that Cyber Monday shopping was up 20% this year, I decided this was a subject that must be covered.
The hardest part about protecting your computer is to know what signs to watch out for. Did you know that something as common as a "Free gift card" pop-up on your local newspaper site can be the downfall of your entire computer system? Computer viruses are rampant this time of year and we find ourselves on sites you might normally think of as safe. As you land on sites that you may not normally go to you could be unaware of the dangers. Clicking on "you are our 200,000th visitor today, you may be a winner", is a good indication that you win a virus!! You will find viruses on many common sites, in your email box, and around every corner of the internet.
"Man, I better not spend any time looking around on the internet!!!!"
No, that is not the answer. One must be informed and mindful. If you receive an email from a friend that just does not look right, do not open it. This happened to me. I received an email from a friend that I knew would not normally be sent by that person. When I questioned her, she had her computer checked on and, a virus had gotten in, taken her address book and sent out infected emails to everyone she had in her contacts. You have heard the old saying, if it sounds too good to be true, IT IS!!!!!!
If a popup appears on your computer and asks you to perform a scan, don't. Your computer, if protected, will take care of that unless you have set up manual scans. A popup in the middle of internet viewing is usually a virus. You can go to the task manager and end task on that popup, but this may not work.
The best way to protect yourself is to keep your virus/spyware subscription up to date and be very mindful when using your computer. If you have questions or you think you may have a problem, please call us. We are here to help you. The sooner the problem is addressed, the better.
Metron Version 6.0!
