As you may have heard or even experienced yourself, Windows has often found itself under the brunt of a virus attack. The first thing you should do with any new device or operating system is to install and set up a form of anti-malware beyond the operating system’s natural defenses. It is important to only use 1 antimalware service as the programs do not work well with each other. However, in the case that a virus does still infect your operating system and affect how you use your device, there are ways to scan for them and protect your device.

 

Anti-malware applications are once again the best way to deal with such instances. Malwarebytes’s first application is catered for PC usage, and is the most well known version of their services. Running the app performs a system wide scan that helps locate and quarantine potentially harmful files and programs and allows you the option to choose and remove them yourself.

 

As a side note, if you notice on your device you have some form of McAfee Protection installed when you first received it, please do yourself the favor and uninstall all versions of it. McAfee is not a trusted anti-malware service and can act to slow down your device performance and response times.

In the rare cases where you find that a virus has crept into your MacOS despite the various protections it offers, there are still solutions for free that you can try and protect your device. We recommend AVG AntiVirus. AVG anti-virus is a trusted and free application compatible with MacOS to scan for and target viruses and malware that may be located on your device. The app's easy to understand interface allows users easy access to its various functions and protections it can offer to MacOS users.

The operating systems Apple has built for the iPhones are robust and difficult to penetrate. There are less options on iOS compared to Android for users to give permission to apps and files to infiltrate and access your data and settings. However, there are rare instances where iOS users have become targets of a virus.

 

The solution in general is to try a trusted anti-malware service and check your phone’s files. Malwarebytes has a version of their app for iOS. Running this app, or any other trusted anti-malware app such as Avast Security and Privacy allows these apps to scan and locate potential threats or hidden viruses on your device.

 

While apps that scan your device can be helpful, antivirus software that constantly run in the background is generally not recommended, since phones are much weaker than laptops and an antivirus can signficantly slow down your device.

In general, it is a safe practice to not allow permissions for any downloads you judge to be unsafe. Most apps on the Play Store have been vetted to be safe, and even then require your permission to access certain options on your phone.But in the case that this does happen, don’t worry!

 

The solution is to try anti-malware apps, and our recommended option is Malwarebytes for Android. Malwarebytes is a known and trusted anti-malware brand, and can scan through your phone’s files to detect, isolate, and delete potentially harmful files that exist on your device.

 

While apps that scan your device can be helpful, antivirus software that constantly run in the background is generally not recommended, since phones are much weaker than laptops and an antivirus can signficantly slow down your device.