Hackers have turned to Twitter to spread malicious websites over the Internet, which could put your computer at risk for getting a virus.

Because Tweets are limited to 140 characters, many Twitter users convert their links to a shorter URL with the use of websites such as http://url4t.com/. This turns even the most universally recognized URL, Google.com, into the unrecognizable short link http://url4t.com/_5C. Hackers have taken advantage of this feature by creating Twitter accounts solely for the purpose of marketing malicious websites.

Before you click on a link within a Tweet, make sure you know that the account is legitimate. Better yet, avoid clicking short links from Twitter accounts that you do not follow. Also, use precaution when clicking on links within ReTweets — hackers often search for legitimate tweets and then ReTweet them with a different, malicious URL. For more tips regarding Twitter security, you can follow Spam at http://twitter.com/spam.

Naturally, the best underlying defense against computer viruses is installing (and frequently updating) a security system on your computer. Not all computer security software is created equal, so consider getting advice from someone you know about which to purchase. After years of virus removal experience, A+ Mobile PC Doctors has found that AVG Internet Security 9.0 outperforms all other brands of Internet security systems. If you find that your laptop has indeed contracted a virus, don’t hesitate to contact A+ Mobile PC Doctors, an experienced Boston computer repair company. Outside of Massachusetts, we are also offer national computer repair services for commercial and residential clients.

Below is a message that was posted on Yahoo Answers. Spoiler alert: yes, you do have a virus.

“There is this message that keeps coming up in a yellow box with a red cross that seems to look like a legit windows message: “Windows has detected spyware infection! ..Windows will now download and install antispyware program.” Whenever i click on this it scans then takes me to a windows site that asks me to register and pay for removal…”

If you ever receive a message “from Windows” on your computer telling you that you have a virus, do not proceed. The message is a virus in itself, and it will probably lead you to a website that will ask you for your credit card information. Windows is not capable of performing virus scans or performing virus removal. Consider calling a reliable, established computer repair company such as A+ Mobile PC Doctors, and one of our technicians will be able to access your computer remotely to confirm the virus. From there, you can drop off your laptop at our Boston location at 316 Newbury Street in Boston, MA. Or you can arrange to have us pick it up for a small fee. We are the fastest, most efficient computer repair company in the Boston area.

You can reach A+ Mobile PC Doctors by calling 1-866-417-3945, or browse our computer repair services by visiting our website.

The holidays are fast approaching, and if you’re thinking about doing some of your Christmas shopping online this year, you could be at risk for identity theft. False websites, email attachments, even sharing information on Facebook are all ways that a hacker can get your personal information and credit card numbers.

He stole your identity, how could it be so?

When visiting merchant web sites…

• Keep an eye on the URL. Make sure there are no typos, and it doesn’t look…weird. If you’re at www.VictoraisSecret.com, you could be at risk.
• Turn on your browser’s antiphishing protection.

When paying for an item…

• Always use a credit card. Never use a debit card or checking account. Why? If someone steals your credit card number and goes wild, you can usually have those charges taken off. If someone steals your debit card number, they can easily empty your account and you’ll have no way of getting back the money. It CAN happen — it just happened to my best friend’s boyfriend.
• STOP filling out a form if it asks you for your bank account number or Social Security number. These are definite red flags that someone is trying to steal your identity.

It’s common knowledge that data backup is incredibly important when it comes to computers. After all, no laptop is completely safe with the use of even the latest computer security software. By not backing up your data on a regular basis, you’re running the risk of losing years of treasured digital photos or your entire music library.

Gizmodo.com recently brought up an interesting point. If we’re backing up the data on our computers, shouldn’t we back up the data on our cell phones? After all, our phones are with us all day and most of us use them as a smaller version of our laptops. At least once a month I receive Facebook invites to a “So-and-so Lost All Their Numbers” Facebook group. To give an example, T-Mobile’s ten-day Sidekick hiatus was a PR nightmare that all began with a giant data backup failure.

Due to gagdet failure or even just water damage, people are constantly losing their cell phone’s contacts, pictures, videos, ringtones, and files. Why NOT back up your cell phone data? If you have an iPhone, Palm Pre/Pixi, Blackberry, Nokia, or Samsung cell phone, read the details on how to back up data.

It might be easy to SAY that data backup on a computer is incredibly important, but it’s often hard to get into the habit of actually DOING it. That’s why A+ Mobile PC Doctors will be ready and willing to take care of any data backup and data recovery your laptop or desktop computer might need. We are the most efficient and most frequently recommended Boston computer repair company. To perform a virus removal, our technicians back up your data, isolate the virus, perform the virus removal, and restore your data to your laptop or desktop computer.

Our company consists of only the most experienced technicians. Compared to other Boston computer repair companies, our experience allows us to perform computer repair services much quicker than our competitors. This benefits our customers with the shorter wait time and incredibly reasonable service charge.

Call us at 1-866-417-3945 to speak directly with one of our technicians about any of your computer repair needs. We perform onsite computer repair in Boston and beyond. Or, you can drop your laptop off at our office at 323 Newbury Street in Boston, MA.