Even if we all know that in order to keep our computer virus-free there are some thing we have to fulfill, many of us fail when have to archive them. To understand better how we can protect our information and how to keep our computer clean, here are some easy tips we should consider.

1. Install antivirus software. This is a “must do” if you have an Internet connection. You can’t even think about connecting to the network without protecting your computer. Antivirus software will protect your computer of getting infected with malware, worms or other forms of viruses. You can check this list with the top free antivirus software in case you haven’t chosen one yet.

2. Don’t use auto-login option. This is a cool but dangerous feature especially if others use the computer where you work. Consequently, your account can be hacked easily. In this topic, I would like to add that is important to have different and solid passwords for each account. To manage your passwords without problems, you can use password management software.

3. Clean your online tracks. When I say this, I refer to cookies, temporary files, Internet history etc. They can eat significant disk space and are also considered a backdoor for hackers. You can do this manually, or you can use a software to do it automatically.
Example: For managing browsing history in Firefox go to : Tools – Options – Privacy and there you can select to “Never remember history ”, or to define specific numbers of days to be remembered or to clean history when Firefox closes. In the same area you have the option to view you Cookies and to delete them. Using a software it’s easier and will clean all your online tracks indifferent the browser you are using. For example, IP Hider can be configured to automatically delete them at specific time intervals.

4. Create different accounts if you share your computer. Indifferent if you trust or not the persons you are sharing your computer with, it’s recommended to have separate accounts and of course password-protected.

5. Don’t open attachments automatically. There are keylogger that can be installed remotely and these keylogger are send to the victims through an attachment. They record all your activity (keystrokes, websites visited, application running, documents, etc) in complete stealth mode and sent the information to the hacker. So, examine and scan attachments before they run!

6. Download software from secure source only. Beware to freeware, screensavers and games because these are important sources of virus infections.

7. Check for updates. Antivirus software are always updating their virus database, that’s why is important for yourself to update it. This is also applicable to your operating system, office software and others.

8. Disk clean up and defragment. Fragmented disks are causing slowdowns and can lead to system crashes and freeze-ups. Disk Cleaup tool in Windows will free up space on your hard disk by searching files that can be safely deleted. This tool will also remove your temporary Internet files.

As I said in the beginnings, these are the basing tips you have to follow if you want to keep your computer clean and virus-free. If you think there are other important aspects we should consider, mention them in the comments section and I will add them into the list. Until then, enjoy browsing safely!