Once you get an antivirus program, you can totally forget about it, right? You don’t have to do a single thing more because the program does all the work for you…Well, yes and no. Antivirus does protect you so you don’t have to guess which links and downloads are safe, and which aren’t. But, you still have to do some work to make sure you don’t get viruses.
Take a look at some antivirus mistakes that you’re probably making right now (at least a few, anyway):
1. Not Knowing the Compatibility Requirements:
Even with today’s more powerful computers, you can still buy antivirus programs that slow them down to the point where they’re unusable! You’ll likely be able to run the antivirus or antimalware program, but it’s not worth it to have if it’s going to grind your productivity to a halt. Make sure you have a good gauge of how your antivirus impacts system performance before you install it.
2. Using Internet Explorer:
Did you know Microsoft has officially declared this much-maligned browser will no longer be available? There’s several reasons for it, and one is the poor security. Even with antivirus, visiting websites could still result in you ending up with spyware. Get rid of IE now!
3. Assuming You’re Always Safe:
That leads into this point. Antivirus doesn’t protect you from yourself. It’s like driving your car: you wear your seatbelt for protection, but you still drive on the road as safely as possible. Even if you do have antivirus installed, you still have to observe safe internet use. That means only browsing websites you know, staying off Facebook at work, and having attachments scanned before download.
4. Not Backing Up Your Data:
Even with good policies and software in place, you can still have your entire computer network blown up by a virus. For example, your own employees could purposefully sabotage your computer system. While that’s rare, it’s a possibility they could bring a file from home, click a spam e-mail, or find a website your antivirus doesn’t know yet. Antivirus is good, helpful, and necessary, but it’s not perfect!
5. Installing Too Much Security Software:
When you buy a new home computer, did you ever notice how many additional programs you get that you don’t want? Most of them are there to make you feel like you got a good deal. But, there’s a free version online that does things the same or better. And 2/3 of those programs, you don’t even need! Worst of all, they can cause serious performance problems in your network. They can also even cause functionality and usability issues.
Don’t let your work computers become like this. You need antivirus, a firewall, regular employee training, and regular data security updates. That’s it! Security doesn’t need to be glamorous – it’s actually straightforward and simple.
Did you find yourself making any of these dangerous security mistakes?
If so, time to make some changes!
