An Ounce of Prevention.

04/16/2014 - Kirk Caskey

The days of easy computer virus removal are all but gone. While some computer virus/malware/adware infections can be cleaned up relatively easily, most require extensive, time consuming effort. The time has come for a more serious look at virus prevention. As the old saying goes; "An ounce of prevention, is worth a pound of cure". And so it is now with computer viruses.




It used to be that you could install a single software package that would protect your system from virus attack, and if required, that same software could do a pretty good job of cleaning your system in the event it had actually become infected with a virus. The modern threat however, has evolved into a more complex infection requiring multiple tools and methods to remove successfully. (For more information on viruses, see my article titled "What is a Computer Virus?") Do to the complexity of this modern threat, the number of possible methods of infection have increased, the typical number of simultaneous infections in an infected machine have increased, and the ability of these infections to resist removal has increased. The modern viral/malware infection is some serious stuff, that fights back! You don't want to get one!

To further complicate things, many computer users click happily around the internet with outdated, ineffective antivirus software on computers with unpatched, unsecure operating systems. Blissfully unaware of any issues until their computer literally becomes so infected that it is practically rendered unusable. Suddenly, they are frighteningly aware that something has gone wrong! But, alas, now it is too late! The damage is done! Their data is at risk, and their personal information has possibly been compromised.

These modern threats require a modern, proactive approach to help prevent any infections before they can occur. This proactive approach includes up-to-date, active, effective anti-virus software & anti-malware software, an up-to-date, secure operating system with a good firewall, and either a keen knowledge of Internet attack trickery, or an active Internet filter to constantly scan traffic for known vulnerabilities before they get to your computer. All this sounds a little over-the-top perhaps, but the reality of anything less, is an unnecessary, willing exposure to an ever escalating threat to our identities, activities and our personal data. And the cost of virus removal, just one time, typically far exceeds the cost of proactive prevention for an entire year. What is your peace-of-mind worth?

These threats are especially important to businesses. As a business, the cost of infection removal is a smaller cost compared to the costs of the down-time and lost revenue associated with a machine that is out of service for a few days while it gets cleaned up. And for businesses, active internet filtering can be utilized to increase productivity across your entire workforce to strengthen your bottom line.

These are the days of threat prevention. You just cannot afford to get an infected machine anymore. An once of good viral prevention, is worth way more than a pound of viral cure.


Kirk Caskey is owner of KC TECHNOLOGIES in Murphysboro, IL