Viruses are programs that enter your computer without your permission and without your knowledge of their real function. They replicate themselves and cause damage just like human viruses. They work by attaching themselves to normal programs and files and then spreading to other computers. Viruses range from the pesky to the completely destructive. Viruses can destroy valuable information, create a range of system problems, and waste time and resources.

Worms are a variation of viruses, with the primary difference being that they generally do not attach to other programs. Virus protection software serves a valuable role in finding these hidden viruses and worms and quarantining or removing them from your system.

You can decrease the possibility of virus infection by following a few best practices.

1. Use quality anti-virus software to automatically detect and remove viruses. Update it daily or at least as often as possible. Make sure that your anti-virus software is always enabled. This shall ensure constant virus protection for your PC.
2. Use an Internet firewall. Windows Vista and Windows XP with SP2 have a built-in firewall. Just make sure it is enabled.
3. Check email messages before opening them. Email is one of the most popular means of virus propagation. Emails can contain a virus even if it does not contain an attachment. Sometimes even opening the email in preview mode is enough to trigger a virus.

4. Avoid downloading programs from unreliable websites. Perform a virus scan before opening a file or running a program if you are unsure of its source or credibility.

5. Do not accept any unsolicited files you receive in online chat or newsgroups. Accept only those files sent from known reliable sources.

6. Apply the patches and updates recommended by your computer manufacturer. These patches can normally be found on the manufacturer’s website. They fix things like security holes and program vulnerabilities. Visit Windows Update for security fixes for Windows Operating Systems.

7. Remove floppy disks from the disk drive before shutting down or booting up your computer. Floppy disks are a common means of virus transmittal which occurs on boot up.

8. Be sure to scan compressed files. Formats such as .zip and .rar are not immune from viruses so it’s important that your virus software is capable of scanning compressed files.

9. Be aware of virus warning signs. Some symptoms could be people receiving email messages from you that you did not send, an increase in file sizes, or Word and Excel documents prompting for macros that should not contain them.

10. Keep yourself informed