It’s still cold and flu season…and always computer virus season, so keep your computer healthy and protect the data it stores by playing it smart. Take some sage advice from your local computer experts at Computer “A” Services, and “Don’t click that link!”

You can contract a computer virus or get hacked by clicking on a link, especially when using an older Windows operating system and older browsers. Older Windows operating systems can have “holes” that aren’t patched before malware writers can enter them. Plus, newer browsers can set better limits on what scripts and plug-ins are allowed to do.

So how does it work? When you click on a link, you are asking your web browser to retrieve a webpage from the Internet and run all its components. When that happens, you are rolling the dice. You could be perfectly fine or you could have just inadvertently done something monumentally horrific.

And please don’t listen when someone says your computer can’t get hacked or infected by simply clicking on a link because you have to download something. In actuality, when you click on a link, you ARE downloading something. At that point, hackers can gain access to your contacts, messages, location and worse yet your passwords, credit card numbers, banking information, social security number and other extremely sensitive data. Be very careful when you click because your computer can even become infected by malware if you click on a malicious ad on a totally legitimate website. Believe it or not, this horror show is also common on trusted platforms such as Facebook. 

To keep your computer and your sensitive data safe, just remember these words of advice if you aren’t absolutely, 100 percent sure about a link, “Don’t click or you could get sick!” If you do erroneously click on a questionable link and think you may need help, contact your local computer experts at Computer “A” Services. We’re here to help.