Most of us have heard the term "computer virus" mentioned in the past, but many of us have no idea exactly what a computer virus is or have any idea how to protect ourselves against them.

A computer virus is a program which usually operates without the user's knowledge, first infecting files on your hard drive and then replicating itself many times and spreading itself throughout your entire system. Fortunately there are simple steps that all of us can take to make sure that our systems are as safe as they can be.

Antivirus updates

New viruses are created and distributed every single day and without up-to-the-minute updates being installed on your system, your antivirus software is powerless to protect you against the latest threats. It is essential to update your anti-virus software on a regular basis. If your security software has an automated update feature then it is advisable to enable this. Allowing your software to update automatically is the best way to ensure that your system is fully protected against new virus attacks at all times.

Windows updates

System updates are effectively "patches" which contain (among other things) fixes for possible security vulnerabilities. As new threats emerge, Microsoft work to close the security loopholes through which malicious programs can gain access to your system.

Regular scans

It is very important to run regular system scans in order to detect any malicious software that may be present on your PC. Ideally, these scans should be carried out on a daily basis, but at the very minimum your system should be scanned for new threats once a week.

Many new antivirus programs have the ability to run on autopilot. From the first initial set-up the software is capable of running scheduled scans and tasks without any further instruction from the user. If your security software has these features available, take the time to read the settings carefully during the initial set-up. If this automated scanning feature is set up correctly, your system will remain safe and secure all without the hassle of remembering to perform regular scans.