Category: Viruses

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Should I Use a Firewall to Protect My PC?

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Should I Use a Firewall

It’s amazing how little people know about firewalls – only 4% of Americans say they understand firewalls completely. Most people don’t understand them at all. Hopefully, this article can help to shed some light!

When asking yourself the question, “Should I Use a Firewall?” Our answer is pretty simple. It’s “Yes.” But to truly understand why a firewall is a necessary defensive measure on your laptop or desktop computer, here are some considerations.

Should I Use a Firewall to Protect My PC?

To understand why you should be using a firewall, it’s necessary to understand what your computer is without one. Think of it like this – your computer has an “open door” policy without any form of protection.

Essentially, it’s wide open for hackers to access any sensitive information on your computer. If you keep any records of credit cards, bank account information or passwords on your computer, it may be accessible.

This connection happens when your computer accesses the Internet. You may be slightly safer on your home network – but is that the only place you use your computer? Most people use laptops on unsecured networks in a coffee shop, airport, or on other public wifi sources.

A good firewall will not only protect you from these possibilities, but will also scan your computer for any vulnerabilities, and instruct you for files or programs that make it easier for hackers to gain access to your precious personal information.

A good firewall will perform a couple of very specific actions:

  • Outsmarts sophisticated hackers
  • Catches hackers even if they manage to get past the firewall
  • Makes you essentially invisible to hacker tools

Firewalls work as a shield between your computer and the Internet. Essentially, they monitor the constant exchange of information between your computer and the web.

Firewalls filter content to see if it fits certain standards deemed to be safe or not, then allow or disallow information to be sent, often with a warning if a security threat is found. A good firewall program will keep an up-to-date list of security threats, as they’re constantly evolving.

Basic firewalls come standard on Windows operating systems, but firewalls with additional security featured can be purchased and used instead of these basic programs. It’s recommended that you opt for this extra security.

In addition to a firewall, you should be using an antivirus program. Although a firewall can detect malicious threats, it cannot remove them. That’s where antivirus programs come in.

Together, these two tools form the perfect pair for a safe computer, and protects your information from outsiders. If your desktop computer or laptop already has viruses, Target PC has virus removal services that can turn this problem around.

Are you still wondering, “Should I use a firewall to protect my PC?” Do you need more guidance as to how to implement a firewall for protection on your PC? Get in touch with us online or call us at (440) 725-0642 for more information!

Does your computer have a firewall? What are your best practices? Share in the comments!

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The Reasons for Frequent Windows Defender Updates

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frequent windows defender updates

Windows Defender is a antivirus software product that strives to detect and remove malware.

At first, it was released as an antispyware program as a free download for Windows XP. It shipped with Windows Vista and now comes standard with Windows 10 with antivirus capabilities.

Windows Defender is an application that once installed, runs in the background and lets you know when you need to take specific actions.

One of the best features of Windows Defender, however, is the ability to use it anytime to scan for malware. Most people use this feature if their computer isn’t working correctly, of if they suspect a link online or on an email.

Windows Defender replaced Windows Security Essentials and is truly a great antivirus tool for a PC to have, but it’s only as good as you make it. The main reasons for frequent Windows Defender updates is that the program is essentially useless without them!

Reasons for Frequent Windows Defender Updates

Whenever you update Windows Defender, definitions of known spyware and other potentially harmful software get updated on your computer.

As you should well known, spyware is continuously changing shape and being updated. Your computer must also be constantly updated so that it can recognize security threats.

A failure to update any type of antivirus software on a regular basis is unnecessarily exposing your computer to virus problems.

As alluded to previously, reasons for frequent windows defender updates include supporting two of Window’s Defenders best features:

  • Real-time protection to threats as a user comes upon them
  • Browser integration: Windows Defender works seamlessly with Internet Explorer.

    Microsoft Edge makes it so files can be scanned as they’re being downloaded to prevent malicious software being installed on your computer.

    Unfortunately at this time, it doesn’t integrate with other web browsers, but can still scan downloaded fills for malware.

As with most antivirus protection programs, you can make it easy to install updates. Update your settings to download updates in the background or to remind you at a certain time each day to focus on downloading updates.

To get the most out of Windows Defender, don’t use it in addition to another antivirus program. In fact, Microsoft warns that if you want to use a different antivirus software from another provider, you should uninstall this program.

If it’s already too late and your computer has viruses, we can help. We offer both laptop and desktop virus removal solutions.

If you’re looking to prevent additional problems that could be caused by security threats, check out our previous article about the top 5 most common ways to get viruses on your PC.

At the end of the day, antivirus software will help extend the life of your computer much longer than without! Get in touch by calling (440)725-0642 or fill out our online contact form and we can help make sense of what’s going on with your computer right now, and how to protect it from further harm.

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The Top 5 Most Common Ways to Get Viruses on Your PC

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most common ways to get viruses

It’s unfortunate that wherever you turn, there’s a possibility that your computer will be overrun by viruses. The best ways to protect yourself include being cautious and installing virus protection, but even those methods are not without fault. Arm yourself with knowledge so that you can do your best to prevent viruses from ruining your PC.

The Top 5 Most Common Ways to Get Viruses on Your PC

You opened an infected email.

Most modern email clients have built-in virus scanning, but some don’t, and none are 100% effective at protecting your computer from virus-infested attachments. So, exercise caution.

Some best practices:

  • Don’t open emails from people you don’t know.
  • Even if you do know the sender, beware of strange subject lines and other warning signs
  • Use a built-in scanner to scan an email before opening it or downloading attachments
  • Get a total protection antivirus software solution to reinforce the aforementioned best practices

You’re surfing an unsafe website.

This is perhaps one of the most common ways to get viruses on your PC. It’s hard to put a finger exactly on what makes a website safe or unsafe. Some are more obvious than others, but some have threats hidden in plain sight. A good rule of thumb is that if your gut is telling you that something’s wrong, it probably is.

Furthermore, if you’re served a popup that claims your computer is infected… don’t click it! The only notifications you should trust are the ones that clearly come from your antivirus software. Beware of any and all popups, especially those that make crazy claims.

You assume that antivirus software fully protects you.

Antivirus software will protect you from many threats, but it’s not infallible. Just as people are constantly changing, so are viruses. Even if you just downloaded updates for your antivirus software, there may already be a new threat that wasn’t accounted for.

A best practice is to update antivirus software on a daily basis, and be careful when surfing the internet and opening emails.

…Or you don’t use antivirus software at all.

A lot of people mistakenly think they can just be “smart,” and avoid viruses by being extra-careful while surfing online and going through emails. The plain fact of the matter is that some things just slip through the cracks.

It’s impossible to be constantly vigilant, especially when some virus problems are hidden from plain sight, or disguised in something that doesn’t look like a threat. So instead of taking a chance, install anti-virus software. It’s more than worth the investment.

You’re not using a firewall.

A firewall is an important piece of the puzzle for protecting your PC from outside threats. Most PCs have a built-in firewall that you can activate, but there are other solutions online depending on how much protection you think your PC needs.

If you have one of the most common ways to get viruses on your PC, it’s not too late! Target PC has both laptop virus removal and desktop virus removal. For more information, use the form on our website to get in touch, or call (440)725-0642.

9 Signs You Have a Computer Virus

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9 Signs You Have a Computer Virus

If you’re looking for signs you have a computer virus, chances are you already do. The reason you are searching for this information is most likely because your computer is behaving in an unusual way.

Computers are designed to function in predictable and linear patterns. Once you begin observing abnormal activity, you may already be infected.

While there is no sure way to determine whether or not you have a virus from a blog post alone, any of the following nine points are probable signs you have a computer virus.

1. Phantom Hardware

Watch for your hardware operating on its own without you commanding it to. This may include your printer printing or your CD-ROM drive opening.

These are both strong signs you have a computer virus.

2. Slow Performance

Depending on what you are doing with your computer, you may experience slower processing times with certain tasks.

If, however, you find your entire system is performing abnormally slow with even the most basic of tasks, you may have a virus.

3. Difficult Startups

If your computer has recently started taking an abnormally long time to start up, or presents you with unfamiliar content while it is starting up, you may also have a virus.

4. Frequent Crashes

Yes, computers will freeze or crash from time-to-time. What you want to look for in this instance is frequent crashes, often occurring every few minutes.

This is potentially more dangerous if it seems that your computer crashes when you are not using it.

5. Missing Files

The absence of critical files – the kind that power your applications or operating system – is one of many telltale signs you have a computer virus.

This is also true in the event that your personal documents or files seemingly vanish.

6. Inaccessible Disks

Are a number of your disk drives missing?

Worse, perhaps they are visible but you are unable to access them?

Both of these scenarios could be caused by an unwanted virus.

7. Unusual Files

Should you find files you don’t recognize, do not open them. This is especially true in the case of applications.

An easy way to tell is by monitoring your hard drive usage. If it inexplicably tripled in used storage overnight, that is not a good sign.

8. Excessive Popup Windows

Aside from popup windows being annoying, they can also be a sign of a virus. This is especially true if they open when you are not actively using your web browser.

9. Strange Error Messages

Strange error messages refers not only to obvious ads, but may also include garbled text and gibberish.

It is a common scam to install a virus on computers that indicates that you have a system issue – and the only way to correct it is by buying whatever product the error message is selling.

Please do not comply with whatever these fake warning messages tell you to do.

“I Believe I Have a Virus…”

Over the past nearly two decades, Target PC Inc. has seen its fair share of laptop and desktop computer viruses.

If you believe your computer may have a virus, it is best that you discontinue using it. Contact us right away, or call (440) 725-0642 for immediate service.