There are some simple steps you can take to protect your company’s devices from viruses. Even if you don’t work in Information Technology, virus protection is something that should be addressed on an ongoing basis within all companies. Here are 4 of the most effective tactics for protecting your company’s computers and employees from viruses.
Only Use Official Antivirus Software
An essential step in protecting your company’s devices from viruses is to make sure that everyone within your company is using antivirus software that has been properly licensed.
In most cases, this means making sure you are using a program from a reputable company and checking for the latest Windows antivirus availability in 2022 or whatever latest antivirus your operating systems support. The reason why it is important to make sure that everyone is using official antivirus software with up-to-date updates is that there are a number of fake antivirus programs that have started appearing on the market.
One way that you can tell if you are dealing with a fake antivirus program is by looking at the price. If it seems too good to be true, then it probably isn’t real. Fake antivirus programs are typically designed only to steal information, rather than protect your computer from viruses.
In some cases, it can be difficult to tell the difference between a fake and a real antivirus program. This is especially true if you have purchased an older version of a trusted antivirus program that has been discontinued by the company that created it.
In these cases, you may have to contact the manufacturer directly to determine if your antivirus program is real. Either way, only using official antivirus software will go a long way towards protecting your company’s devices from viruses.
Get Rid Of Unused Software
One way that some infectious spam are able to attach themselves onto new computers is by hiding within installers, which are executable files that usually have a name along the lines of Setup.exe or Install.exe. These files look like they contain software, but what you are actually downloading is the virus itself, which will then infect any computer it finds attached to your company’s network.
To avoid this situation, simply get rid of any unused software on your company’s computers. This can be done by either removing the installers from your network or by doing a complete reformat and reinstallation of your operating systems.
In some situations, it will be easier to remove these viruses from within installer files rather than performing a complete reformat. If you are not sure how to do this, your IT department can help you.
Either way, removing all of these unnecessary programs will go a long way towards protecting your company’s devices from viruses.
Never Open Suspicious Files
One of the best ways to protect your company’s devices from viruses is to ensure that everyone within your company understands and follows proper security procedures. This means never opening a file that you receive in an email – even if it appears to be from someone who works for your company.
In some cases, those who send out the virus may try to trick people into opening the file by using your typical file-sharing programs like Dropbox or Google Drive, rather than using email. Another tactic these people may use is to disguise their files as invoice documents or even regular office files, such as a word processing document.
If you receive a file that looks suspicious, the best thing you can do is have your IT department check it out before opening it. If it is a virus, then your IT department can help you contain the damage it causes and prevent it from spreading to other devices connected to your company’s network.
Make Sure Each Computer Has Anti-Malware Protection Installed
The final step in protecting your company’s devices from viruses is to make sure that each computer within your network has anti-malware software installed on it to stop any malware from infecting other computers.
Just like with antivirus programs, there are a number of fake anti-malware programs that have started appearing on the market. One way that you can tell if you are dealing with a fake anti-malware program is by looking at the price. If it seems too good to be true, then it probably isn’t real.
Fake anti-malware programs are typically designed only to steal information, rather than protect your computer from viruses.
Whether you choose to buy your anti-malware program from a trusted company like Microsoft or through a third party, the safest and most effective solution is to install it on each of your computers.
Just remember that antivirus software and anti-malware software are two separate things – meaning that, while they can both go a long way towards protecting your devices from viruses, only using one will not protect your company’s network.
In order to protect your company’s devices from viruses, make sure that you get rid of any unused software on your computers and ensure that each computer within your network has proper anti-malware protection and anti-virus installed.
Then, ensure that your employees know not to open just any file. By following these steps, you can greatly reduce the amount of risk that a virus will cause for your business.