How to protect your computer

There are several steps you can take to protect your computer against malware. These steps are crucial to safe web browsing and electronic communications. Just as you immunize your children against harmful illness and take other precautions to keep them and yourself healthy, the following steps should be taken to ensure a healthy computer.

Anti-virus Software

First and foremost, make sure you have reliable anti-virus software installed on your computer. The software should detect threats in downloaded files both from the internet and from email and should be updated regularly to protect you against the latest threats. It is recommended to install high quality anti-virus software that updates itself automatically. While upper-end anti-virus software runs in the background and prevents the infiltration of malicious files, it is still recommended to run a deep scan of your computer periodically.

Anti-Spyware Software

Install and routinely run Anti-Spyware software on your computer. It is important to note that you need to update your software very regularly so that the software will catch the latest threats trying to install themselves on your computer. Some software automatically optimizes your web browser to take preventive measures against spyware by using methods already inside your browser. Scan your computer frequently to detect and remove any spyware that becomes installed.

Firewall

Make sure you have an active internet firewall set up on your computer. You can buy firewall software or use Windows firewall. To turn on Windows Firewall go to Control Panel, click on Security center, click the Windows Firewall Link and turn on Windows Firewall.

Update your Operating System

Your operating systems provides security patch updates to ensure that you are protected against the latest threats such as Internet Speed Monitor. An important step to securing your computer is to install all the latest security patches. Windows allows you to set Automatic updates so that it routinely checks for the latest updates and installs them automatically. To set Automatic Updates go to Control Panel, click on Security center, click the Automatic Updates links and select Automatic Updates.

It is very important that you prevent Malware from being installed on your computer. If it does and that you detect it regularly if it did get installed and remove it promptly.

Remove Autostart Programs

When you install a program on your computer, it often configures itself to start when your computer boots up and to run in the background. You may or may not see an icon in your system tray on the bottom right of your screen indicating that the program is running. Many of these programs, like Internet Speed Monitor are not essential and removing them from your Startup will improve your computer and internet speed.

To remove Startup programs:

1. Click your Start button > Click Run > Type MSconfig. Press Enter.
2. Click on the Startup Tab. You will see a list of all programs that start when Windows  loads.
3. Uncheck the box next to the programs you do not need to start automatically. Click Apply and restart your computer.

Note:

It may not be obvious what program is related to each file. Do not uncheck an entry if you do not know what it is. First look up each entry by either typing the file name into Google or by using an Autorun tool like http://www.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php

Clean up your computer

You can improve your internet speed by cleaning up your computer. Remove temporary internet files, cookies and other unnecessary files that our cluttering up your PC. The easiest way to clean up your computer is to use a software program like Piriform CCleaner. With the push of a button, it removes all unnecessary files from your computer and tells you how much space it has freed up. Registry cleaners are also very important tools to optimize your computer. Spring clean your computer regularly for best results.

Defragment Your Computer (defrag)

How annoying would it be if you were cooking dinner and every ingredient or item you required was located in a different room. Running from room to room to gather the items would make the dinner making process highly inefficient. You computer’s files can be gathered in one location (unfragmented) or scattered around your computer (fragmented).  Over time, more and more files become fragmented and your computer slows down as skips to different sections of your hard drive to gather the necessary information.

To defrag your computer:

1. Open My Computer, right-click Local Disk, click Properties.
2. On the Tools tab, click Defragment Now. The Disk Defragmenter opens.
3. Click your first hard disk, and then click Defragment.

Repeat the process for additional discs.