No one except the criminals who develop them knows when the next big “bug” will strike the Internet so it pays to be ready. If your computer gets a virus, the effects can range from being a mere nuisance to a disaster, depending on the virus and how you use your computer. Some computer viruses will simply slow your computer down or cause you to lose Internet access. The more malicious varieties will, in plain terms, eat the data on your hard drive for lunch.

You may have an anti-virus program installed on your computer, but just owning the software isn’t enough. Every computer owner needs to also subscribe to a virus definition update service. Many anti-virus programs come with a free year of updates. Make sure you sign-up for them. After a year, most companies require you to pay an annual fee for the updates. This usually costs around $25, depending on the company. If you’ve had your anti-virus software for more than a year and you don’t remember paying for updates, you’re probably not getting them. That is bad news and your computer may be vulnerable.

Why do you need the updates? These updates tell your anti-virus software what new viruses to look for and how to fix them if they’re on your computer. Without the updates, your computer will be left exposed to new viruses as they hit the Internet. If you’re not getting the updates, contact your anti-virus software’s tech support line for assistance.

If you have questions about computer viruses in general, please call our tech support line at 533-5777 or 1-888-491-9115. We’ll be happy to help. Tech support is available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. You can also e-mail questions to us at techsupport@huntel.net.

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