A virus is a piece of coding or a file that causes harm to your computer’s data or used to carry out criminal activity. Viruses can infect your computer through:

• Opening an infected email attachment such as a Word or Excel Document and other .exe files
• Opening an infected file, which could be from a file delivery service like Dropbox or YouSendIt
• By clicking on a web link in an email
• Visiting legitimate but corrupted websites can cause viruses
• A USB/memory stick that is infected but plugged into a computer can transmit the virus as well

Tips to prevent viruses from infecting your laptops or computers would be:

• Do not open files attached to emails from unknown or suspicious sources
• Do not click on any links that is attached in emails from untrustworthy or unknown sources
• Do not click on the “Unsubscribe” links in emails as they tend to lead you to be targeted more
• Never download an unauthorized application that is from the internet to a device that you use for work purposes
• Remember to backup your data regularly so you don’t lose any of your information if the virus wipes out everything
• Do install an antivirus software like McAfee or Trend Micro on your PC or Apple Mac computers and laptops, make sure you update them occasionally.
• Use your built-in firewalls that are already in your Apple Mac or PC computers, they are easy to install and will stop malicious third parties from scanning your computer on the Internet
• Be cautious when using USB drives (memory sticks) since they are common in carrying viruses
• Do delete suspicious emails or emails from unknown sources

Always remember that spammers, scammers and hackers start with gaining your trust so when receiving an email claiming to be from a client, supplier, or customer always approach with caution since there might be a chance it will be fraudulent! If you are not sure if you have a virus or want help with protecting your computer or laptops from viruses, call The Digital Docs at 781-639-6070 and our professional IT team can help you with a diagnoses today!