Download Files: Safety First

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When you exchange digital photos with a family member, swap music over a file-sharing network, or update software programs online, you are downloading files to your computer. While downloading data makes life very convenient, it also poses a risk. Malicious programs like viruses, worms and spyware can lurk inside the files you download. Opening the files unleashes these little demons, infecting your computer and causing all sorts of nasty problems, including destroying data, bringing your computer to a crawl and allowing someone to access your PC remotely. With a bit of caution, however, you can safely download files by following these simple steps: Use anti-virus software. Make sure the program is updated regularly. Most do this automatically by periodically downloading new data from the company website, but if yours doesn't, do it manually at least once a week. Set the program to scan all incoming and outgoing e-mail attachments and all software you download. Be wary of e-mail attachments Never open an attached file sent by a someone you don't know. Even if you do know the sender, it's best to be cautious. Some viruses access the e-mail address book and then send themselves to everyone listed. Watch out for links. Don't click on strange links in e-mail or instant messages. It could initiate an unwanted download to your computer. Be especially suspicious of e-mail reportedly from financial institutions asking for confidential information. Pass up pop-ups. As you surf the Web you may get pop-up windows offering free screensavers, cursors, smileys or other programs. We recommend against downloading these as they may be bundled with spyware. Close the pop-up by clicking the X in the upper right corner of the window. Know the source. Many companies offer free software programs or update their products via online downloads. Before you click the OK button, be sure that the company is one you know and trust, such as Apple, Adobe, and Microsoft. If in doubt, do without! Share files, not viruses. Peer-to-peer or P2P file sharing networks are a great way to exchange data files, but how much do you know about the source? Some files, especially software programs may be bundled with spyware. Be cautious. Scan files before opening. Even if a file is from a trusted source, do not open it until you first do an anti-virus scan. Save the file to your desktop, then run the scan. Typically, you can do this by right-clicking on the file, then selecting the Scan option from the pop-up menu. If the file is clean, open or install it. But if it's infected, delete it from your computer immediately. Scan your computer regularly. Set your anti-virus program to automatically scan all your files at least once a week. If a virus has sneaked into your system, the program should detect and delete it. According to Microsoft, "Although no type of file is perfectly safe, pictures, music, and text files with names ending in .JPG, .GIF, .MP3, or .TXT are less likely to be harmful. Be extra cautious with all other file types. Files with names ending in .EXE, .COM, .BAT, and .VBS in particular can contain code, which if harmful, could damage your system." Last update: Jan 3, 2008 Related Articles: File Formats Computer Viruses I Spy Explore More: Search the Web Learn the Net (www.learnthenet.com) is Copyright 1996-2008. Michael Lerner Productions. All Rights Reserved.