Harish Answers: Protecting against Viruses and Worms

The Internet is a great place to be, but it's also dangerous. Virus and worms are deadly cretins that can have adverse effects on your computer and your productivity. Here are a few pointers to help you prevent the invasion of virus and worms on your system.

Invest in a good anti-virus software. There are many to choose from. The popular one being, Kaspersky ,Nod 32,Norton's Anti-virus, Dr. Solomon's Anti-virus and McAffee.
Frequently download the updates to the anti-virus you are using
Backup important data on a regular basis.
Never open email attachments from unknown sources.
Never download and install .exe files from personal web sites. For example, if you want a free software, it's better to download it from the developer's web site or from known and respected directories such as Tucows than from a web site of an individual.
Restrain yourself from downloading Micro Soft Office files from unfamiliar sites.
Increase the security level of your browser. For Internet Explorer version 4, go to View - Internet Options. Click on the Security tab and choose High or Medium security level.
Download and install updates for browsers and email programs you use. The Micro Soft site has a tool that automatically checks which security features your system needs. You can find more information about it here.
Keep yourself updated with announcements on newly found virus and worms.

Extreme precaution

Ruthlessly delete emails with attachments.
Install two anti-virus scanners. No single anti-virus program is fool-proof. Using two at the same time increases your chances of detecting and deleting the virus/worm.
Disable receiving emails in html format.