If you are working on your home PC, you can protect your work from virus damage in several ways.

• Purchase an anti-virus program, and use it often. Such programs are available through shareware, or you can buy one from a software dealer. You should update your anti-virus program regularly. For more information, read our Viruses web page.
  
• Back up your data and application software regularly, and always save data to a USB drive or CD, and application software to another USB or CD.
  
• Write protect your USB drive to help prevent the spread of viruses. To do this, slide the small tab on your USB drive to the lock position. When this tab is in the Unlocked position (open), you can write (save) to your drive. When the tab is in the Locked (closed) position, you cannot write to the USB. This also means that viruses cannot write to your USB drive.
  
• Take care when using the Internet. If you come across something that you want to download, copy it to a USB drive and then scan it for viruses. If there are no viruses, you can load the program onto your hard drive.
  
• Search the Internet. You can find information on the web about protecting files, USB drives, CDs etc.