There are many great products available for purchase and download these days for our personal computers. These include music, audiobooks, creative fonts, games and a variety of software. However, before you download something onto your computer, you need to make sure that the download won't infect your computer with a virus or malware. Here are some easy tips that can help keep you safe and secure.
It is important, first of all, to never download anything unless you trust the source. For some items, such as music from iTunes or downloads from companies such as Microsoft, you are probably very secure. However, other websites are less well known and possibly less secure. If the site is unknown to you, do some research and see if other people have downloaded items safely from this source.
Every file that you download has a file extension at the end, such as .jpeg or .gif. Looking at the file extension before you download can be a good idea because many extensions tend to be used specifically for malware. Be wary of extensions like pif, doc, exe, scr and bat, but truly any file can be corrupted with a virus or other malicious programs, so scan it first before you download.
It seems like every day we receive hundreds of emails. Some of the worst emails head straight for your spam folder, but occasionally an odd email from one of your contacts makes it into your inbox. If it comes from a friend or a co-worker, you probably don't think too much about opening it and clicking on the links inside. However, sometimes these links are fraudulent and you can end up allowing malware to access your entire contact list or perhaps you will be downloading a Trojan or virus. To ensure that the link is OK, hover on top of the link, but don't click. Then look at the bottom of your browser screen, it should show the true source of the link. If it truly is a funny video from Buzz Feed or an interesting article from CNN, this will show as the website. If it's not, then just don't click on the link and delete the email.
Often when we are searching for something, such as a specific song or maybe a movie to download, we find a site offering the item for free. Copyrighted items, such as books, movies, music and games rarely are free and often these sites are offering illegal, pirated downloads. Not only are you breaking the law when you download illegally, often these sites are simply scamming you and what you are really downloading is malware. Never download from an untrusted site and if the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is fraudulent.
Still, malware happens and when it does, it can be a huge pain to remove and get your computer back up to speed. If you need Portland computer repair, such as malware removal, contact a company such as GeeksAKnockin'. Their team of experts can remove viruses, spyware, Trojans and other types of malware, as well as speeding up a sluggish PC, improving your security, updating software and hardware and much more. In addition to Portland computer support, they also offer Hillsboro computer repair, Beaverton computer support, Gresham computer support and in many other areas of Portland.
It is important, first of all, to never download anything unless you trust the source. For some items, such as music from iTunes or downloads from companies such as Microsoft, you are probably very secure. However, other websites are less well known and possibly less secure. If the site is unknown to you, do some research and see if other people have downloaded items safely from this source.
Every file that you download has a file extension at the end, such as .jpeg or .gif. Looking at the file extension before you download can be a good idea because many extensions tend to be used specifically for malware. Be wary of extensions like pif, doc, exe, scr and bat, but truly any file can be corrupted with a virus or other malicious programs, so scan it first before you download.
It seems like every day we receive hundreds of emails. Some of the worst emails head straight for your spam folder, but occasionally an odd email from one of your contacts makes it into your inbox. If it comes from a friend or a co-worker, you probably don't think too much about opening it and clicking on the links inside. However, sometimes these links are fraudulent and you can end up allowing malware to access your entire contact list or perhaps you will be downloading a Trojan or virus. To ensure that the link is OK, hover on top of the link, but don't click. Then look at the bottom of your browser screen, it should show the true source of the link. If it truly is a funny video from Buzz Feed or an interesting article from CNN, this will show as the website. If it's not, then just don't click on the link and delete the email.
Often when we are searching for something, such as a specific song or maybe a movie to download, we find a site offering the item for free. Copyrighted items, such as books, movies, music and games rarely are free and often these sites are offering illegal, pirated downloads. Not only are you breaking the law when you download illegally, often these sites are simply scamming you and what you are really downloading is malware. Never download from an untrusted site and if the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is fraudulent.
Still, malware happens and when it does, it can be a huge pain to remove and get your computer back up to speed. If you need Portland computer repair, such as malware removal, contact a company such as GeeksAKnockin'. Their team of experts can remove viruses, spyware, Trojans and other types of malware, as well as speeding up a sluggish PC, improving your security, updating software and hardware and much more. In addition to Portland computer support, they also offer Hillsboro computer repair, Beaverton computer support, Gresham computer support and in many other areas of Portland.
About the Author:
Frankline Bell enjoys blogging reviews on computer repairs and support companies. For further details about the best computer repair Hillsboro Oregon professionals or to find out more about Portland computer repair services, please go to the GeeksAKnockin website today.