The anti-virus I'm talking about is better than anything else out there. It can detect any virus or malware threat as soon as it appears, uses no part of your Computer, is completely free, and doesn't require you do download Internet updates! You've had it your whole life and use it everyday. What is it?



Common sense!

I often hear people talk about how many viruses and malware they get. I, on the hand, keep my AVG anti-virus off a good portion of the time and get very few viruses or malware. Instead, I use common sense. Below is a general overview of how to use common sense as an anti virus.

1. I never download email attachments from anyone unless I'm expecting one. I usually don't miss out on much, either. Aunt Marge's family pictures were never interesting anyway.

2. I am always careful before clicking on links in emails from places such as Amazon, PayPal, and Ebay that I'm not expecting. If I am very curious about an email, I just search the subject on Google and am able to find out whether it's a security threat or not.

3. I use Firefox as my primary web browser. Internet Explorer has too many security holes. Though Firefox has security holes, they're not exploited like IE's security holes are and are generally patched much faster.

4. I notice when my computer acts unusual. If you use your computer frequently, you should know when it accesses the hard drive and what applications give you a high CPU usage. If I notice anything out of the ordinary, I always check my Task Manager for any unusual processes.

5. Know what processes usually run on your PC (press CTRL+ALT+DELETE and then click processes to see). You don't need to memorize them, but be familiar with them. If you suspect your computer is infected with a virus or adware, you'll usually see a process or two in the task manager that are unfamiliar. If ever unsure about what a process is, search it on Google to find out more about it.

6. If you are into downloading things that cause the RIAA to get upset, don't use P2P clients such as Limewire, WinMX, Grokster, or Kazaa. When using bittorrent, make sure you read a torrent's comments before downloading to make sure there are no viruses in it. If you absolutely must stay with P2P clients such as Limewire, keep a second computer (it can be anything, even something ten years old) for downloading your files. Scan the files for viruses before moving them to your main computer.

7. If you must download something that you think could contain a virus, always scan the file with an anti-virus before opening.

8. Don't become paranoid. The threat of viruses and malware is taken too seriously by many. While everyone should take precautions against viruses, there's no need to be a "virusphobe"

This guide is by no means meant to be a substitution for an anti-virus. In fact, I strongly recommend you use one. In addition, the best judge of what security measures you need to take is you. Everyone's computer is different so everyone has different security needs.