The 4 Key Steps to Protect Yourself from Malware

A security nightmare that saw a devastatingly effective type of ransomware known as Cryptolocker infect millions of computers across the globe in 2013 highlights a daunting fact.

Malware authors can still surprise the good guys. Cryptolocker caught everyone off guard with its unprecedented ability to encrypt a user’s data and literally hold it to ransom. Cryptolocker raised the bar for malware authors everywhere.

And even though that specific threat has largely been dealt with, it has spurred a flurry of copycats, representing yet another way malware can cause irreparable damage to its victim’s lives.

It is more important than ever to ensure that you are sufficiently equipped to deal with the current threat of malware. The vast majority of malware infections rely on a victims failure to act responsibly or correctly, meaning they could be easily avoided with only a little knowledge.

Thus follows 4 important steps to ensure you maximize your chances of staying malware free.

1. Keep Yourself Protected
2. Keep Yourself Educated
3. Keep Your Software Updated
4. Keep Your Data Safe

1. Keep yourself protected

Whilst certainly not a revolutionary concept, the idea of having some kind of security software installed on your computer is vital. The type and level of protection will mostly depend on the end user themselves, and their experience surrounding Internet security.

Experienced users may choose to rely on the inbuilt security software their operating system comes with, or choose to install a free, lightweight antivirus for added protection. Less tech savvy users on the other hand may choose to install a more comprehensive security program that protects from a wider variety of threats. Such software will typically offer antivirus, a firewall, anti-spam, identity theft protection, link scanners and social media protection, as well as added protection for those who use the Internet for shopping or banking.

If you’re looking for good quality security software from a reputable source, check out our review on our editor’s choice software by clicking here.

Security software not only protects users against their own actions, but can also help to protect against threats that emerge from exploits or vulnerabilities in the software a user has installed. Also, good quality security software will regularly update itself to help protect against the latest threats when they become known.

Remember, it is important to run regular full system scans using your antivirus to check for malware that may have managed to install itself on your computer without you noticing, such as keylogging malware, ransomware, adware or browser hijacking software.

A word of warning: Don’t let security software give you a false sense of security. You are NOT guaranteed full protection from online threats if you have security software installed, not matter what program or solution you choose to use.

2. Keep Yourself Educated

As we mentioned above, security software isn’t going to keep anyone completely secure, all of the time. It’s just not possible.

Like it or not, each user needs to take responsibility for their own safety online. And this means keeping yourself informed and educated about the different types of threats that you’ll likely encounter online.

Internet security isn’t likely to protect any user who persistently falls for scams online. The better a user can keep themselves informed, the higher the chances they’ll be able to keep themselves safe.

Of course this is easier said than done, since there is a wide array of different threats in cyberspace, exploiting a number of different technologies. But there is also a lot of valuable information out there, and you can start by reading our blog post here that outlines 5 of the more popular methods criminals use to trick their victims.

3. Keep Your Software Updated

Outdated software can represent a serious security risk. Understanding that and thus keeping your software up-to-date will help you keep your computer malware free.

Software can refer to the operating system you use, or the programs you install. Security flaws are always being found in software, either by criminals or by the software developers themselves. Obviously these flaws need to be “patched up” (meaning fixed, basically) and this is usually done by downloading updates (or “patches”) from the Internet.

Needless to say, if you don’t keep your software updated by downloading these updates, you risk your software being exploited by criminals via the known security flaws. Keeping your software updated is usually quick and easy, and there is no reason not to do it!

It is also recommended to keep current with the latest versions of a particular piece of software, since old versions of software will eventually stop receiving security updates. For example, Windows XP users no longer get security patches, meaning recently discovered security vulnerabilities will not be fixed, putting such users at risk. (Still using XP? Time to upgrade!)

Important software to keep up-to-date includes your operating system (Windows for most), your Flash player, your Internet browsers, your security software and other software applications you often use, especially ones that utilise the Internet in some way, such as online games.

Remember however, to be careful when updating your software. Only install the updates from trusted sources, and do not follow prompts to update your software when you are on untrusted websites.

4. Keep Your Data Safe

Whilst the last three steps have been pre-emptive ones, this step is reactive, but still equally important. Often, protecting yourself against the threat of malware means ensuring that the damage is causes is minimal if the worst does happen and you do get a serious infection.

The damage malware can cause you is likely to be much more serious if you do not back up your information. Take for example the Cryptolocker outbreak that we discussed briefly above.

This malware encrypted data on your computer and held it so ransom. Without paying up, there really was no way of retrieving your information! Of course if you have a current back-up of your information, this isn’t really a problem and you can simply remove the malware from your computer (or perhaps reinstall your operating system) with minimal loss, other than your time.

Thus it is important to keep your data backed up on removable storage devices to ensure that it is safe even if your computer does get infected with malware.

Can you think of more important steps to protecting yourself from malware? Let us know below.