Viruses cost the U.S economy over $10 billion a year. For an individual, they can be disastrous, trashing valuable data, harming your computer, and draining time and money to have them removed.

A virus is, literally, a damaging piece of software that moves from one PC to another as it is shared. However, there are many other types of harmful software that should be avoided which are also erroneously called viruses, such as those that spy on your browsing habits and report the info back to a third party (spyware). Other words associated with viruses include Worms, which ‘worm’ their way through networks, and Trojans, which seem harmless but hide significant dangers.

The web is also full of criminals who wish to get hold of your personal information in order to defraud you, or to take money from companies like credit agencies. This is called ‘phishing’ or, more commonly, identity theft. Ultimately, the damage falls on your finances or on your credit score.

Here are ten simple tips from the ClickAway crew that will help you protect yourself from the digital bad guys.

1. These days email attachments will be scanned for viruses before and as they enter your in-box. But virus scanners cannot stop links. If you see a link and you are not certain where it goes, or who it's from, stay well away. Many links are designed to download malware to your computer.

2. Install some GOOD QUALITY ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE on your PC or network. Don’t be cheap. Don’t rely on free stuff and don’t download freeware from the web. Make sure your software is up to date and comes from a reputable source, like McAfee or Norton. No software package can catch everything, but a good package will keep out most of the bad stuff.

3. Run REGULAR SCANS of your system, just to make sure nothing has sneaked in. Auto-set for once a week.

4. SAFEGUARD PERSONAL INFORMATION. Don't put personal information into any online forms unless you are absolutely certain they are genuine. Generally, mistrust requests for personal information that come to you via email, online ads or random browsing. Look out for messages that seem to come from your bank, or from PayPal. Real banks do not send messages asking for you to input personal data. Look out for the Verisign logo at the bottom of the page, which is a positive indication of a trusted source.

5. If you rely on a network for your work, consider investing in a HARDWARE FIREWALL. Standard software firewalls can cause problems between various machines in your network, and can fail against particularly malicious attacks.

6. SURF SAFELY. The internet is full of dark corners. Mostly, common sense will tell you where is safe. Sites that offer get-rich-quick schemes and pornography are the most risky. Avoid gaudy, flashing ads that make unlikely promises.

7. Your browser will have a variety of SECURITY SETTINGS. Learn about these and pick one that feels right for you.

8. Be conservative about the software you install on your computer. Err on the side of SOFTWARE CAUTION. Go with software from reputable companies with recognizable brand names. Don’t download software from the web unless you are sure it’s coming directly from a reputable source. Never load software from home-copied disks.

9. P2P FILE SHARING NETWORKS (where you download music and movies with other users) are a significant source of viruses, malware and spyware. Avoid using them, or be very careful about the files you download.

10. If other people use your computer - especially kids - make sure they UNDERSTAND THE RULES. Also, one extra tip, don’t type urls into the window of your browser. A simple spelling error can take you to a bad place. Use a search engine of Bookmarks.

If in doubt, give our techs at ClickAway a call. We can help you avoid viruses, and we can help you get rid of any that have infected your PC or network. Viruses are horrible. It’s our job to protect you from them.