Question: what ways are the most reliable and safe to protect your computer from malware

Aurelia Brzezowska answered on 17 Oct 2024:

Use a trusted antivirus – don’t just install anything from the internet! Watch the links you click on, your activity is generally the cause for download of malware. Be careful of suspicious links and downloads. Also make sure to use a firewall like Windows Defender. This will pick up suspicious activity. Most importantly make sure your device is updated – most malware targets older versions of software and OS with known vulnerabilities. Updates called patches, tend to fix these vulnerabilities but they can’t always help if the malware is already installed. Finally, use ad-blockers!

Prevention is great but you also need to consider the side of detection. Regularly run security scans and check for any strange activity or use of resources. Perhaps all of a sudden an extra couple GB of storage is being used or your CPU usage is high. Look for the irregular!