In the hope that you will all be safe and secure in 2012, I urge you to follow just 3 simple rules this year:
- Don't ever click links in emails, social network sites or links on suspicious web pages
- BACKUP all the data you can't afford to lose: Photos, videos, music, documents, passwords, serial numbers, maybe emails too
- Run a decent anti-virus, anti malware software on your computer
That is really basically it. Most infections arrive through email, so this is a major source of concern for you.
If you're backed up, you can wipe your hard drive of any infection and start again. A pain, yes, but the only sure way to remove anything nasty (and hidden)
If you run a good anti-virus, it can detect things that aren't even known yet. there's so many on the market. Do some research and spend the time to find the best one for you. But remember, it's no guarantee to prevent infection.
The weak link in your online security is YOU.
Best of luck people.