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Of all the potential threats that can cause damage to your computer, perhaps the most serious and widespread threat is from malware or malicious software.

Malware refers to any piece of code that tries to enter your PC without your consent and causes damage to it or steals your personal information.

Malware can be categorized into two main categories:

- Virus: These include all kinds of computer viruses, worms, and Trojans
- Spyware: These include spy software, adware, and criminal ware.

While the former spread fast and are transmitted through one computer to other, the latter are confined usually to the computer in which spyware has entered.

A recent study found that over 86% of computers are inadequately protected from malware threats, while half of users perceived that they were well-protected. This overconfidence stems from ignorance about the threat perception of malware and most users are not aware of the problem until it is too late. Some of the symptoms that may give you a warning signal about the presence of malware is if your computer is slow or if your computer freezes randomly. It is recommended that you follow the tips given below to protect your PC from Malware:

1. Use a reliable anti-virus properly: While most of you probably have anti-virus software installed on your system, you may not be aware of its capabilities. It is critical that you choose your anti-virus very carefully after consulting with experts and reading the reviews. Once you select the anti-virus and install it, you must be sure to:
   • Enable real-time protection to ensure no malware infiltrates your PC.
   • Perform a complete system scan every few days.
   • Always remember to update the virus definitions to ensure total protection from a new virus.
2. Follow Safe Computing: You must take all precautions while using your computer, especially while using the Internet. You must be sceptical of all unknown emails as well as attachments and never open them before scanning. You must also never visit or download software from suspicious websites.
3. Update your Operating System regularly: Microsoft Windows is a robust operating system but it is not perfect. Microsoft releases updates on a regular basis to plug any loopholes in its security that may serve as an entry point for various malware. Ensuring regular system updates also makes the defence of your PC stronger and less prone to malware attacks. You can update your Windows operating system easily by using the Windows Update feature.
4. Use a good anti-spyware: Did you know that almost all PCs that have an internet connection are likely to have spyware on them. These spyware programs, such as Limewire, can  add a lot of entries to your registry and can cause a lot of damage to your system. If you are wondering how to uninstall Limewire, you need to equip your computer with a reliable anti-spyware tool and it will get rid of all kinds of spyware including Limewire. You may also choose to use a good registry tool to clean up any spyware entries added deep within the registry tree.

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