5 ways to train employees to avoid malware and viruses

Abstract

There are many different ways that viruses and malware can make their way onto your computer. Businesses are especially at risk because of the amount of users present and utilizing the network. Running anti-virus software is rule number one for keeping computers clean, but there are other ways to train employees to keep their PCs free of malicious attacks. 1. Do not click on a download button if it looks suspicious. Download buttons can turn up anywhere and look incredibly legitimate without actually downloading the file the user believes they are downloading. When you click on a download button that isn’t the one you want to click, you may download malware or a virus. 2. Use a browser that is secure. Gone are the days that Internet Explorer is considered secure enough to keep out viruses and malware. Always keep your browser up to date, and use a browser like Google Chrome or Firefox that continue to update and keep their browsers safe and guarded against malicious attacks. 3. Never engage with cold calling IT agents. This happens far more frequently than people realize. Microsoft or other providers of internet and software will not call you out of the blue to tell you that your PC is corrupt. These people will go on to ask for control of your computer (remember you have not initiated this conversation since nothing is wrong with your PC!), and then have complete access to all the data on your machine. If you have not initiated a phone call to a help desk agent, hang up, and call the company the agent claimed to be calling from. 4. Ignore pop ups. Another way for scammers to get your information and have users install software onto their PCs is by utilizing pop ups that look like a security threat. Most will say “your computer is infected!” and have a red or green button that reads “scan” – encouraging you to scan your computer for the virus, when in fact the scan button is installing the malicious software. 5. Do not open email attachments from forwarded messages. When you download a file that was forwarded through cyber space, chances are that you are downloading a worm or a virus onto your PC. Malware can spread quickly through email, and when you click on the affected link, malware or a virus will download to your PC. The attachment may also ask for your personal information, just way for hackers to gain your information for their own uses. Educating employees on these and other dangers is a great way to ensure that they are up to date on how to avoid malware and viruses. If an infection should occur, professional IT advisors like those at https://www.mustardit.co.uk/ are ready to assist and help with any of your needs.