Computer viruses, Trojans, worms, malware and other infections are potentially dangerous threats that badly affect the functioning of your computer. These threats are frequently created by malicious users, and to protect your system against such malware, there are multinational companies who are invariably involved in the process of developing antivirus software. These antivirus applications not only prevent the computer and detect the virus but also keep updating themselves to detect any new types of virus being released on the web.
It is necessary to keep your antivirus scanners up to date otherwise the computer would be vulnerable to any virus or worms that have been released after your last update.
How to Update your Antivirus Program
Go through all the following steps in order to update your Antivirus program properly
Step 1: First of all, update your antivirus program in case the update wasn’t performed at the time it was installed; or because of you not having an Internet connection at that time. It is a very crucial procedure and must be performed before you go ahead with the other updates.
Step 2: Now you need to update your virus definitions, or the ‘signatures’ that identify known viruses. At the time of buying the software, you also get a subscription for an update service that allows you to download any new virus definitions. This subscription is most often for a year, after which you would have to buy a new subscription.
Step 3: It is also necessary to upgrade your existing antivirus program. The companies of such programs keep releasing new versions of the software every few years to tackle unknown or latest viruses affecting a computer. By purchasing the new upgraded programs, you will get access to latest features and enhanced virus protection, as well as fresh subscription for virus definition updates.
Step 4: Scheduling automatic updates is also a method you can follow to avoid threats in the form of viruses. If you go for manual updates, there’s a good chance of you forgetting to perform them. This can result in your virus definitions falling behind and making your computer more vulnerable than before.
Step 5: You can also go for the option of purchasing a comprehensive or a specialized program that not only deals with viruses but other forms of threats in the name of spyware, malware, Trojans and worms. It often happens that the existing antivirus protection is not good enough for people to protect their system against new threats. In such cases, buying additional or more comprehensive programs are a good way to keep your system highly secure.
Step 6: There are some software packages that can be downloaded free of charge, for handling specific problems. For this purpose, there are programs like Lavasoft’s Adware and Safer Networking’s Spybot.
By following all the above steps, it can be assured that the computer’s security against outside threats is maximized. Buying and downloading Antivirus software, and leaving it aside on the system is never enough; a regular check is the most essential part of purchasing the program.