How to Protect a Business From a Computer Virus

These days every business has at least one computer that contains vital information. The protection of that information is essential. Computer viruses continue to become more elaborate and you need to take the right precautions to prevent the infection of your business computer, to avoid losing client information or protected business practices to a hacker. Follow the steps below to protect your business from a computer virus.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Purchase and install anti-virus software on every computer or network system. Set up the software to run automatic updates every time the computer or system connects to the Internet.
2. Download spyware for each computer as an extra precaution. Spyware scans every page or file you download you visit while on the Internet to make sure there aren't any viruses attached to it.
3. Renew your subscriptions to your anti-virus software and spyware immediately upon expiration. Failing to do so will not protect your business computer from new viruses.
4. Update your operating system (such as Windows) regularly. It is best to set up your operating system for automatic updates, which it will alert you to when they are available. These updates provide software security patches that "patch up" holes in the system that may otherwise allow hackers access.
5. Delete any emails that are from someone you don't know or don't recognize, because they likely contain a virus. If you accidentally do open one of these emails, don't click on any links provided within the body of the email, as they likely link to a fake website that will download a virus automatically.
6. Train your employees on how to deal with a virus if one attacks their computer.

Tips & Warnings

• If a virus attacks one of your business computers, disconnect it from the network immediately to keep the virus from spreading to all of the other computers.
• Don't always trust that a virus is removed from your system just because the anti-virus software says so. As an extra precaution, plug the name of the virus (as listed on your anti-virus notification) and "removal tool" into a search engine. Download the removal tool and follow the instructions to be certain that the virus is gone.