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This is the continuation of the Malware 101 post. We will deal with the best practices to prevent and solve such attacks -with enough reasons why you have to do them so.
1. Have a written internet safety guidelines in your company. Make sure that all computer users abide to it. All users-employees and customers must understand that website security is their responsibility too.
2. Use 2-3 diffrent brands Anti-virus or Anti-malware for maximum security. Different software focuses on one or two aspect of malware protection; for example, ZBS Shareware is great for USB plugins, Malwarebytes is a free and reliable scanner for web-based files as well as internet-downloaded files.
3. Practice making a full scan on all work stations regularly. Never disregard this measure especially for company sites.
4. Limit internet downloading from reputable sites only, especially when it comes to executable files. All .exe files must have administrator approval. You can use AVG Fee Web Scanner to check if a site is safe before you visit it.
5. Prevent pop-out advertisements in your browser setting.
6. Scan through each end-user agreement for every application you download. Look for the the disclaimer saying that the creator is not responsible to any damage that will incur in your system. Chances are, they know that something might happen to your computer but they won’ t tell you about it.
7. Change account passwords regularly.
- Notify any senders if you are receiving spammy messages from them when you know that they will least like to send you one. This will prevent further spreading of the infection. Email owners most likely are not aware that their email accounts are being hacked.
- Change credit card PINs at least once a month -specially after making an online purchase.
- Change passwords such any membership sites as social networks.
8. Have your own site a seal of from your security provider (eg: MacAfee or Symantec). This will gain your customer’s trust as well as ward-off potential hackers.
9. Online chat messagers (like Skype) may recieve a suspicious link from a contact. Always ask the sender what the link is for before clicking it. The sender will reply immediately if the link is harmless.
10. Always contact your IT administrator of any malware found in your system. Concealing it will make the problem worse by not taking action on the attack. Have the IT quarantine and delete all files found suspicious with malware.
Being ready is better than sorry. Google can flag down any site found contaminated by malware, thus ruining website reputation. With these enumerated measures above, you can defend yourself and gain your customer trust to visit your site often. Feel safe and free in utilizing the world wide web for your business.
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Maribeth Oliver is a home-based micro-entrepreneur, writer and a mom.