With companies like Geek Squad charging an outrageous $199 for in-store virus removal and $149 for online virus removal the idea of getting a virus yearly or even once every few years is not a cheap one (look for yourself). On top of that it will take time to have the computer worked on, time that you can’t be using the computer which could mean a backlog of work for you. So we decided to create a short and sweet list about what you can do to keep yourself virus free. We’re giving you some of the very basic tips we use ourselves and that has kept us virus free for over 6 years! Yes I said six (6) years so let me say this now and very clearly… IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE ON WINDOWS AND NOT GET A VIRUS. The truth is Windows for the average user is in our opinion very secure, though if you have some government secrets and want to hide them we suggest you look to the N.S.A who spends their days playing “catch the terrorist hacker”.

So how can the average photographer secure their Windows PC and not feel like they just gave up the right to do any more than look at the Google homepage? Common sense mostly and some tips you may not have heard before but if you have and don’t follow them now is a great time to start.

1. Run an anti-virus program, there’s a few great free ones and a few great pay ones. If  completely free sounds like the right price to you check out Microsoft Security Essentials with a price tag like FREE and being ranked in the top 3 anti-virus programs in reviews this anti-virus from Microsoft is coming out of the gate strong. Like Windows but still not a fan of Bill Gates? Check out AVG Free the free edition provides ample protection from virus’ as well as an optional upgrade to the pro version which offers a little more protection. We were using AVG Free for years until our switch to Microsoft Security Essentials in the last few weeks.
2. Never, under any circumstances open an email from a person that obviously looks suspicious. As a business you can’t not open emails from people you don’t know, but you can really reduce your risk by just skipping the ones you know are spam and are not from a possible client. If it has an attachment this is a big red flag most websites sending you a newsletter will not send you an attachment nor require you open a file to view what they have to say. Think the email might have a virus? Visit the company’s website and read the newsletter directly off their page.
3. Your bank will not send you an email with a link to their site’s login page. Even if they do never open a link to any website through an email that you wouldn’t open with a bunch of strangers looking over your shoulder watching you type in your password. If you want to view your PayPal balance and think a link in an email they just sent you is a fast way to get to the site you might get to the site and think it’s the actual site only to find a few days later you have a virus, your account is empty and identity stolen or any one of the three. This is a common way for hackers to gain access to your computer and accounts commonly called “Phishing” (pronounced: fishing).
4. Never visit sites of questionable content… how can we say this delicately these sites usually offer things of an adult nature, free software or even an ability to do something such as see who’s looking at your Facebook page. While were sure everyone who reads this only comes across such things purely by accident it’s important to understand that not matter the nature of the website, if you’re not sure that it’s an actual legitimate website you could visit for a few short minutes or seconds and have a virus installed on your computer. Windows users running a good anti-virus program like the ones above will actually be warned that a site could be potentially hazardous and have the option to not visit the site to prevent infection by most websites.
5. Enable Windows Firewall, it’s free and yes it works! The firewall is like your personal secret service detail, he stands next to your internet connection and if someone you don’t know or he knows not to trust tries to use your computer to talk to the internet or someone tries to talk to your computer over the internet without your permission, he puts them in a headlock and asks you if you know them and if it’s ok for them to pass. Until you say yes (or no) he won’t let you talk to them or visa versa. Now the firewall isn’t without flaws but your average part time wanna be hacker is just going to skip over you and find someone that’s not protected.
6. The last tip is simple, we know you like simple so here it is. If the website you’re about to download a file from looks questionable, move on and find somewhere else to get your files. When you download something your anti-virus won’t always be suspicious at first until the file is completely downloaded (or opened) and only if your virus scan automatically checks new downloads. If it’s a nasty self-duplicating virus you may have an infection that normal software won’t cure and end up visiting a repair shop and having to deal with the drama that comes with a virus infection. Save your time and only download from websites you can trust or that come highly recommended.

Follow these simple steps and you’ll be well on your way to living a PC Virus free life just like this exrtremely over excited PC user.

What’s your favorite way to help keep your computer virus free? Leave us a comment and let us know.