Frequently asked questions
I read that some anti-virus programs pick up certain types of virus better than others, so I have 2 anti-virus programs installed. Will this give me better protection?
No! At best your computer’s performance will be impeded. At worst it may reduce your overall protection and make your computer even more vulnerable to threats! Having two or more anti-virus programs trying to scan the same incoming data at the same time may result in none of them being able to detect a threat. One may even try to eliminate the other. The first will detect the virus signatures used by the second one, to spot incoming viruses and other types of malware, and then perceive this as a threat. Before you install any anti-virus software you should check that any previous anti-virus software has been fully removed first. If in doubt, call us!
I have anti-virus protection installed. So how has my computer got infected?
To provide you with the best possible protection your anti-virus product must receive regular (usually daily) updates via the internet, so it has the information it needs to be able to detect the latest variants and new strains of viruses. Even then, there is always the possibility that the very newest variants and brand new viruses could infect your computer. Anti-virus software will always be one step behind the virus writers, so it is essential to browse the internet wisely, stick to only to reliable sites and avoid downloading anything from sites you aren’t sure about. Peer-to-peer file sharing should be avoided too, otherwise you might get a free virus with your ‘free’ music or movie! Social Networking sites are also used to drive users to suspect websites, so be very careful which links you follow!
I get bombarded with messages about updates, so I tend to ignore them. Is this a good idea?
Definitely not a good idea! Most software companies do test their products extensively prior to release, but it would be impossible for them to test every product in every conceivable situation. Therefore all new software is released with the potential for there to be problems. That’s why you see so many update alerts. When a problem is identified, pretty soon after there will be an update released to fix it. It can be difficult for users to decide what’s safe to install and what might be a ‘scam’ though. As a general rule of thumb it’s best to install all ‘critical’ or ‘important’ Windows Updates as these are the ones Microsoft releases in response to the discovery of security flaws. There are odd occasions where an update ‘breaks’ something, but this doesn’t happen very often and should not be used as an excuse to not install any updates at all. Optional updates you can probably live without unless you have a specific software problem which the update is meant to fix. Updates to web browser ‘plug-ins’, such as Flash, Java or Adobe Reader are also important for maintaining the security of your computer when web browsing, so do install these too. And it’s really important to install updates for your anti-virus product (see above). If you see an update alert for a product you know you didn’t install yourself should verify it is genuine before installing it. If in doubt, ask us!
How often should I backup my data? Which data should I back up?
Generally, if your data changes daily or you add or make changes to lots of documents every day, back up daily. If you only make changes once per week, back up once per week. Things like accounts or financial records should be backed up very regularly, unless you don’t mind re-entering lost data! It’s always a good idea to keep several backups rather than overwriting the same backup file every time, in case you need to revert back to an earlier version of a file or in case the most recent backup fails. The types of data you most fear losing and you might need to refer to at a later date are the ones you should take care to back up, e.g. photos, videos, music, coursework, letters, financial records.
We have enjoyed the support of the CloudfreeIT team for over two years now and have found the staff to be knowledgeable, pro-active, responsive and courteous.
They made sure that our systems continue to run smoothly. In particular, we are very impressed with CloudfreeIT’s delivery of high quality remote and telephone support, even when we are overseas, and this has been invaluable to us on many occasions.
