How to Safeguard your Drives against Malware and Viruses

Computers are just like us. They can also get infected by viruses, which in turn can affect their function. Nevertheless, it is important to know that the extent of damage a virus or malware can inflict depends on what it targets. For example, there are malware and viruses that can steal sensitive information, slow down the performance of your unit, spam your email contacts, delete some or all of your files, make your system crash, or even take over your entire unit.

Here’s a short video on how viruses and malware can affect your system:

Therefore, it is very important to know how you can safeguard your computer, especially your drives, against them.

Why Drives Often Get Infected with Viruses and Malware

Drives were created to store information, and as they are often used, they become more prone to virus and malware attacks. There are many ways for your drives to get infected: like opening attachments from an unknown source, downloading/installing software that has already been infected by a malware or virus, or not installing an anti-virus program. Sometimes, even the ads that you see online can contain virus or malware as well.

Most Common Types of Virus and Malware

• Trojan Horse – many people are tricked into downloading and installing the Trojan Horse, commonly known as “Trojan”, as it appears to be just a normal program or file. However, it actually gives third-party applications access to the drives or unit it infected. As a result, it can monitor your computer activity or steal sensitive data like passwords, emails, banking information, etc.
• Keyloggers – it is a malware that collects information from the infected unit and sends stolen data to third parties. Some of the information it collects may include your IP address and browsing information by recording every keystroke you made. It can give the creator access to any confidential information you might have.
• Bots – unlike other virus and malware, bots wait for the command from a server that is controlled by the attacker before it does anything to the unit.
• Worms – the worm virus can delete files from the infected unit. It also consumes the bandwidth of its host network. If the web servers are often overloaded, then it is likely that the worm virus has already succeeded in infecting the unit. Worms are usually spread by sending emails with attachments that have been infected. On the other hand, most worms do not cause damage to files.
• Spyware – as the name implies, a spyware spies on your unit in order to steal confidential information like credit card number and passwords. It is a type of malware that runs in the background.

How to Protect Your Drives Against Malware and Virus

Most malware and virus target drives. Also, it only takes seconds for a malware or virus to infect your drives. To help safeguard your drives and hopefully protect your files and data, here are tips you need to follow:

1. Install Anti-Virus Software

The anti-virus software was created to protect and keep your drives malware and virus-free. Also, there’s a number of anti-virus software you can try for free. This only means that you can have your drives protected without paying anything. However, if you want a more secure and long-term protection, it would be best to buy a licensed copy. On the other hand, it is important to know that it doesn’t just end with simply installing an anti-virus software. You also need to make sure that it is updated.

While there are free anti-virus programs out there, you want the best there is – and you will need to spend a bit of cash for that. Here are three of the best anti-virus programs you can find in the market:

Kaspersky – just like BitDefender, Kaspersky won’t take up too much of your computer resources. You can still expect the same performance and speed even with the program running in the background. It also has tons of features to keep your drives and system protected against malware and virus attacks. Aside from providing you excellent malware and virus protection, Kaspersky also have tools to safeguard your personal information during online banking sessions. One good example is a virtual keyboard which you can use for entering your login details.
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Avira – the Avira Antivirus Pro is the solution if you’re looking for a no-frills security program that can provide you with reliable protection and performance. One of its best features is the gaming mode which lets you play your favorite online games or watch your favorite movies without any lags or interruptions from system scans and notifications. While this feature is also available in other products, it is automatically enabled in Avira. It also has tons of other features you can enjoy, making it one of the top three programs you can find.
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2. Run Scans from Time to Time

Now that you already have an anti-virus software, you should use it to run scans from time to time. You can even schedule your scans to allow the program to scan your drives automatically. Through this, you will know if your drive has already been infected or not. During the signs of an infection, you can remove it using your anti-virus before it inflicts further damage to your system.

3. Update your Operating System

Regardless of whether your unit is running on a Linux, Mac, Windows, or other operating systems, updating is essential. Developers often provide updates to fix issues, especially when it comes to security matters. In other words, keeping your operating system up-to-date is equivalent to keeping your units and drives protected.

4. Change Your Password

When was the last time you have changed your password? If it has been a long time already, then perhaps, now is the time for you to consider changing your password. Make sure to choose a strong password with a combination of number, letters, and characters. Don’t use passwords that have something to do with you like your birthday, address, or name. It is also suggested for you to use a different password for your accounts. More than anything else, don’t auto-save your password.

If you have multiple accounts and want to manage and keep them all in a single place, you can use a password manager instead. In case you’re wondering, a password manager will help secure your online identity by generating a strong and unique password for each account and application you have. As a result, you don’t have to memorize each of the passwords you have. These strong passwords will secure your data against traditional methods like rainbow tables or brute force attacks.

Here are three of the most popular password managers available:

5. Be Careful with What You Click/Open

Regardless of whether it is an ad, attachment, or a site, you need to be careful of what you click or open as it may open up opportunities for the attackers to breach your unit and your drive. Many have fallen victims to malware and virus attacks because of clicking random things that pop up especially on their browsers.

If you download something online, such as an email attachment or computer program, make sure you scan them first. Most email services like Gmail and Yahoo Mail have their own email scanning feature. However, you can also find this feature in your anti-virus software.

6. Make Sure that Your Network is Secure

Your network should also have a strong password to ensure that no third-parties can access it without your permission. Also, it would not be a great move for you to broadcast your Wi-Fi network’s name. It’s ideal to use either WPA or WPA2 encryption as each of them is a lot more secure compared to WEP.

7. Back up your files

Your drives serve as storage for your files. So make sure to back up all your files, especially important documents. You can now use cloud storage for easier and more secure storage. This way, you still have a backup in case the files in your drive get deleted or corrupted due to a virus or malware attack.

You can also use a backup software for more security and reliability. Like antivirus programs, there are a number of free backup software available out there. But then again, if you want to maximize your protection, I recommend opting for a paid version. Here are three of the best backup programs you can find:

Acronis True Image – the Acronis backup software is an easy to use and comprehensive backup solution. It has tons of powerful features to help keep your files secure. You can choose to backup specific files, or create a complete image backup of your entire computer and save it to an FTP server or external drive. Among the features Acronis has to offer include an AES-256 data encryption, unobtrusive operation in the background, file preview, sandbox mode, file verification, real-time ransomware protection, and more.

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8. Make Use of a Firewall

Although you already have an anti-virus software, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your system is already secured and protected against virus or malware attacks. That being said, you have to make use of a firewall as it can provide you an added protection whenever you surf the internet.

With a firewall installed, you can keep on fighting the ongoing battle to keep your system secure. Fortunately, both Windows and Mac have their own built-in firewall. Unfortunately, they aren’t secure enough. You will need to use a third-party software as it is far better than what the built-in firewall can offer when it comes to features and usability.

Here are three options you want to consider:

ZoneAlarm Free Firewall – one of the biggest names in the firewall industry, ZoneAlarm is a free application that will help keep your system safe. What it does is prevent both inbound & outbound attacks, hide your ports, and allow you to manage your software. There’s even an automatic mode where you let the program choose the most suitable protection for you. If you want more features and enhanced protection, you can choose to upgrade to Pro version for $40 a year.
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TinyWall – as the name suggests, this firewall program is a lightweight solution. It only requires 1MB of memory and will operate quietly in the background. Some of the features include whitelisting, IPv6 support, restricting applications to set access to LAN-only, and more.
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GlassWire – the Glasswire is a free firewall program that will give you an insight on which programs send and receive data over the network, along with how much data is sent and received. This allows you to easily detect any suspicious activity. If a new program or service requests internet access, you will receive a notification, giving you the option to allow or block it with a single click. There’s also a premium version that comes with more features and added protection.

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9. Disable Autorun

Most viruses will attach themselves to a download program or file then automatically install themselves on your system. As a result, any drives within your network along with external and flash drives will result in automatic propagation of such infection.

However, you can prevent this from happening by disabling the autorun feature. Each operating system has its own means of disabling autorun. For Windows, you might want to refer to their knowledge base articles through this link

Since the procedure varies for each Windows version, it’s ideal to look for your specific version in the list.

10. Use a Pop-up Blocker

By using a pop-up blocker, you can block any potentially dangerous ads from popping up on your screen whenever you browse online. While you might just consider popup blockers as a simple solution for getting rid of annoying advertisements, they actually do more by keeping your system secure.

Advertisements can also be a potential carrier of security risks like viruses and malware. Fortunately, browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge have their own built-in popup blockers.

However, you can also use third-party blockers to make blocking more effective and keep your system more secure. Here are three of them:

AdBlock Plus – this is available as an add-on or extension for all popular browsers out there. Once installed, it will take care of removing unwanted ads for you. I personally use this for keeping my browser ad-free each time I go browse. It’s available for free, and you can activate and deactivate it with a single click.
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Poper Blocker – available as a Google Chrome extension, Poper Blocker is another efficient popup blocking tool to provide you with a smooth, ad-free browsing experience. It performs excellently when it comes to taking down most popups, overlay layers, and even popunders.
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Opera – while technically not a popup blocker, the Opera is a web browser that is integrated with the best built-in popup blocking tool. The tool can easily distinguish between annoying advertisements and popups that actually make sense. You can also choose to block everything or nothing at all. However, if you want added protection, you can also choose from a variety of popup blockers within Opera’s extension library.
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The Bottom Line

We both know how frustrating it is when your drives are infected with viruses and malware. At that point, the best you can do is have your drives repaired by your technician. However, if you don’t want that to happen, you can always take precautionary measures using the tips I provided above.

Hopefully, you’ll be able to apply these tips to your system. After all, no one wants to deal with lost or corrupted files due to poor system protection. Keep them safe and protected!

Don’t forget to check out The best portable drives list…