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."Computer Viruses"
By
Mike Geronimo Lanier
Webmaster
You hear the reports on the evening news occasionally, about some computer virus that is going to wipe out your computer on a particular date. The
date comes and goes, and your computer is still working. This does not mean that your computer is not infected or that you are not spreading the virus to others. It only means that you are unaware of it.
To be safe and sure, you need special software running on your computer to help identify and eradicate computer viruses.
Before everyone was connected to the Internet, computer viruses were spread by hidden files on floppy drives we used to transfer files from one
computer to another. Since the proliferation of email and peer-to-peer file sharing, viruses have become more prevalent and spread quicker. The key is to know what the threats are and how to safeguard
yourself from them.
It is just like a human virus. If we all lived on a farm miles apart from each other and maybe saw three different people a day, the chances of
contracting and spreading a cold is smaller then if you lived in the city and were in contact with hundreds of people a day. With the Internet, we are potentially in contact with billions of people
instantaneously.
With the good that all of this connectivity affords us, comes the bad. Teenage computer experts, hardened criminals, and terrorists use the
Internet and viruses to wreak havoc on the general populous to no end.
There are all types of viruses that do all sorts of things. The most devious ones are those that work behind the scenes to use your computer to do
things that you are unaware of, those that spy on your key strokes to steal your passwords and identity, those that sit dormant on your computer and on a particular date use your computer to attack a
corporate or government network, the list goes on and on. Technically some of these things are not viruses but are considered Trojan horses, worms and spyware. The bottom line is that they are all
dangerous to your computer and personal data.
The key to defeating and controlling computer viruses is to be aware as to how they are contracted and how to eradicate them if you are infected.
Just like STDs, if you are practicing unsafe computing, your chances of getting a computer virus increase. Unsafe computing is - downloading software from a stranger on a peer-to-peer network; viewing or
executing an attachment in an email from a stranger; installing boot-legged software.
Your first line of defense to help combat the spread of viruses and to protect yourself from getting them in the first place is to have an
Anti-Virus program installed and running on your computer. The two major software companies that provide this type of software are Norton and McAfee.
When deciding on how much to spend on protecting you computer, you need to evaluate how important your data is and can you reinstall your software.
If you purchased a used computer without the original software disks, you could end up losing plenty if a virus strikes. If you only use your computer to play solitaire and browse ESPN.com, you don't
need to worry about contracting or spreading a virus. If you send and receive lots of email, have your personal or business financial records on the computer, and bank online, you need to be concerned
about contracting a virus which would destroy your data or compromise your security.
With the protective software installed and running on your computer, you get warned when a virus is on your system. Your in-bound and out-bound
emails can be scanned automatically for viruses. You can schedule the software to scan your complete system on a daily or weekly basis. The software quarantines the infected files and gives you the
option of trying to sanitize the infected file or just delete it without ever infecting your computer. When you send attachments via email, you can be assured that you are not spreading a virus to your
friends or business partners. There is no quicker way to lose a business deal then to send an email with a virus attached to it.
Some other things you should consider to protect yourself would be to install a personal firewall. When some viruses infect your computer, they
then try to use your computer remotely. A firewall will help prevent this. Security settings within your browsers and email clients are also good places to help you safeguard against viruses. The more
automated our software tools become, the more they are susceptible to misuse. Many viruses take advantage of active-x controls within the Microsoft operating system and suite of products. De-activating
these controls within the option settings in your software programs will further insulate you from infections.
Make sure to backup your data regularly. If you don't you could end up losing everything. Some viruses will infect your system to such a degree
that you have to re-format the drive and re-install everything. If you don't have your data backed up. It will all be lost.
Most software that assists you in this area will have the ability to update itself automatically. Make sure you update not only your anti-virus
software regularly, but your operating system and other software products as well. Manufacturers provide free patches to fix security holes and problems to help protect you. Take advantage of these free
updates.
Nearly all the warnings about viruses that come by email are a hoax, particularly when they ask you to forward the e-mail to others. In general you
can ignore these e-mails or check their validity by searching an up-to-date list of hoaxes and viruses.
Here are some websites that will help you:
Norton Antivirus Software
McAfee Security
Microsoft Security Updates
If you have any specific questions, feel free to email the Webmaster - Mike Geronimo Lanier at webmaster@etigerteam.com
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