Why You Need To Run A Virus Scan Every Day

There are many programs you can run on your home computer, but no program is more important to run than a daily virus scan. Running a daily virus scan is an essential part of proper computer maintenance. Without scanning your computer for viruses, adware, spyware and other malicious software, you and your personal information will be at risk. And with so much personal information being kept on the average computer, it is vital to protect that information.

Protect your important personal data
When you think about how much personal and private information is kept on your computer, it is easy to see why a daily virus scan is so vital. More and more people are doing their banking and investing online, and this means that there is more and more personal and private information on the computer. Any number of malicious software products, from adware and spyware to viruses and Trojan horses, are capable of reaching into your computer to steal that information. We all know that cases of identity theft are on the rise, and a significant portion of this identity theft is a result of these malicious software programs.

Fortunately for these computer owners, there are a number of excellent anti virus programs on the market to protect tehm from the threats inherent in the internet. There are many anti virus software vendors, including such big names as Symantec, McAfee and Computer Associates. In addition to these programs, there are a number of free anti virus programs on the market, including the well known avg anti virus program. Whether you use a free anti virus program or choose to buy one, it is vital to run a strong anti virus protection, to keep it updated, and to run a full virus scan every day.

When to run the scan
Generally, the best time to run this daily virus scan is during the night, when the computer is not being used. There are several reasons for running the scan during the night. One reason is that the virus scanning software can slow down other programs that are running, such as web browsers and email programs.

In addition, some anti virus programs will need access to system files that may be in use during normal computer use. It is best to run the virus scan when nothing else is taking place on the computer. Luckily, just about every anti virus software program allows users to choose the time for the daily virus scan. This makes it quite easy to schedule the daily scan for the time of day when the computer will not be used. If the time chosen does not work out, it can always be changed.

Hopefully your daily virus scan will never find a problem, but if a problem is found, it is important to take care of it right away. Most anti virus programs will automatically seek to cure any infection that is found, and if the infection cannot be cured the program should notify the user and suggest steps that can be taken to recover. Most anti virus companies provide a web site with cleaning tools to take care of any viruses that slip through their net of protection. The key is to take care of the problem right away, and to run another virus scan to make sure any problems have been corrected and that all viruses have been removed.