If you have a computer, then you need an anti-virus program!

A virus is a program written by someone to deliberately cause some behavior in your system that is usually undesirable. Many viruses are designed to erase your hard drive in one way or another, so it is important to know a little about viruses in order to protect yourself.

A virus can attach itself to almost any file on any kind of disk, hard are floppy, and will usually spread itself every time you use that disk. You can get a virus by putting a disk into an infected computer, then putting that disk into your computer. From there the virus can copy itself to any other disk that you put in your computer and spread to any other computer you might put the disk into. This will happen without you knowing it!

The virus may not activate itself right away - it may wait for a certain date (Michelangelo's birthday, for instance) or for a certain event
to occur (like the next time you turn on your computer).

You can also get a virus by downloading a program form any on-line source (Internet, including the World Wide Web, bulletin board, CompuServe, America Online, etc.)

A good anti-virus program will load into memory and protect your computer from viruses infecting your files while you work. Contact us for a recommendation on which might be the best anti-virus software for you!

2. Get a firewall!

A firewall can protect you from all kinds of nasty things on the Internet. There are many hardware and software firewalls available. Please call our office to find out which one is right for you.

3. Remove Spyware

Spyware is software that runs on your system, mostly without your knowledge, that tracks your Internet usage. It can be disguised as
a “useful” program, such as a precision time keeper, among other things. Many of these programs will cause your computer to run poorly or crash. Call us for recommendations on how to remove this junk!