Your PC security should always be upmost in mind when using your PC. Infections usually occur by clicking on a false email and opening a link that you believe is from a friend. Clicking on malicious websites or downloading a file that is infected can be a major problem for users. Windows contains several applications that can be tweaked to improve our PC security but cannot prevent you from making a mistake. Perhaps the most common scam is when you see a notice in your browser or one that pops up at the bottom right of your PC warning you that “xxx” has found a serious infection on your PC. Please do not shut down your PC or we will not be able to help you. “xxx” be the name of any protection software. It may request to contact them and might even say they are from Microsoft or Avast, etc. THEY ARE NOT. IT IS A SCAM. DO NOT CALL. Microsoft will never initiate contact with you. If someone states it is them it is a scam. If this common scam displays on your PC, just shut down your browser and reopen it (do not click on the resume option). If it still appears you may have to flush the browser cache. 

There are several types of applications all designed to help make you secure.  

You should understand that purchasing a protection program like Norton, Avast, or McAfee, or using Windows Defender does not protect you from clicking on infected email attachments or falling for the scam mentioned above.  No Malware or antivirus software can prevent a virus from infecting your computer if you invite it in. If it warns you and you do it anyway you will become infected. 

Think about any antimalware program as a locked door to your house. If a bad person knocks and you open it the lock is useless. That is the same with antimalware programs. Windows offers “Microsoft Defender” which protects you against attacks that I believe is as effective as any you are paying for. 

Regardless of what program you use, you should always consider downloading Windows Malicious Software Tool. Unlike programs that prevent you from getting infected, it will remove malicious files if you do get infected. You just need to download it and run it. You can run a quick scan to see if it can spot an easy-to-find infection and have it removed but as soon as you have the time you should run the full scan option to scan every part of your computer. Windows Malicious Software Tool is not a replacement for a full-time antivirus program running in the background, they are designed to block malicious software but if you happen to become infected it is used to remove malicious software. 

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