Here’s another solution which is using a portable antivirus scanner that can check your system for viruses and malware without needing installation or an internet connection on the target computer. There are ways to run a virus scan without an active internet connection or installing a full antivirus suite, one option is to run a scan from a bootable CD or USB stick. Even with an antivirus installed on the system, some malware can disable your internet connection and if it was somehow allowed to get through, you cannot go online until the issue is fixed. If you have a computer that isn’t connected to the internet, such as one with XP installed, it’s still useful to sometimes scan the computer to make sure nothing malicious has found its way onto the system.

One example is celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s website recently being hacked several times serving up possible malware to its unsuspecting visitors. Having an antivirus application or antimalware software installed on your system while connected to the internet is essential these days, not only to protect you if you browse questionable websites or use torrents etc, but even legitimate websites can be hacked and serve malicious files to unsuspecting visitors.

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