You should install anti-virus software as soon as possible.
Make sure to follow instructions - do not do an initial installation
if you think you have a virus.
If your computer doesn't have anti-virus software installed, do
it Make sure that you have current virus
protection software on your computer. This is a must. The two that
are well established are McAfee
and Norton.
I have recently discovered a free virus checker from Computer
Associates. Although, I can't vouch for it, I read the material and
it looks good. You will personally have to get the free updates but
that is a small price for this software.
Be sure to check software makers' sites for virus alerts and
patches. Most software can be programmed for regular updates of
the virus data files. Make sure the schedule is working and
operational.
Here are some rules for preventing e-mail viruses from
contaminating your computer and wreaking havoc even if you do have
an anti-virus software that is up to date. First of all do
not panic. You
cannot get a virus from e-mails itself. The virus gets
activated if you open an attachment.
Rules:
Ask yourself, "If
I don't know what the file is or what it does or who it is from,
then why am I opening it?"
Remember in particular
to never open files that end with a .VBS or .JS extension. These are files that a typical user would never
have a reason to open.
Employ caution when
confronted with files that end with .DOC, .EXE, .COM, .XLS or.PPT.
These are common files that you may run into every day, but they
could be harboring a virus.
Open attachments that
you are expecting, but be suspicious of those you aren't.
Anticipate the worst
when you receive unexpected e-mail messages from people. Try to
check with the sender to make sure it truly came from them and to
find out what the file contains.
If two e-mails come form the same person seconds apart but
are different see if the second one has an attachment. If it does,
be wary and confirm with the other person before opening.
If
your not sure you can do a virus scan on the file but if you don't
need it, send it to trash and then immediately delete it again to
make sure you don't open it later by mistake.
You
can download a virus from the Internet. Your virus software
should do a scan to avoid the problem. If you are still unsure,
download it to disk and then do a scan. All of this is usually
not necessary.
Tips:
If you receive a virus from someone, be sure to inform him or her
of it. They usually have done so unknowingly. This has occurred to
me twice.
This is the place to check out to conduct a search and see if the
warning you received is valid or anInternet
Hoax.
Another interesting site relates to
Chain
Letters -
This is a great site to remind people to ignore (delete) these virus
warnings. The real
virus may be the spread of
pointless e-mail messages. Each well-meaning person tells ten others,
who in turn tell ten others. This site explains that you cannot get a
virus from e-mails. (You may get something from downloading an e-mail
attachment.) E-mail may be annoying, but not infectious. This site
is no longer maintained, but it does point you to a number of other
locations.
Ask yourself, "If
I don't know what the file is or what it does or who it is from,
then why am I opening it?"
Remember in particular
to never open files that end with a .VBS or .JS extension. These are files that a typical user would never
have a reason to open.
Employ caution when
confronted with files that end with .DOC, .EXE, .COM, .XLS or.PPT.
These are common files that you may run into every day, but they
could be harboring a virus.
Open attachments that
you are expecting, but be suspicious of those you aren't.
Anticipate the worst
when you receive unexpected e-mail messages from people. Try to
check with the sender to make sure it truly came from them and to
find out what the file contains.
If two e-mails come form the same person seconds apart but
are different see if the second one has an attachment. If it does,
be wary and confirm with the other person before opening.
If
your not sure you can do a virus scan on the file but if you don't
need it, send it to trash and then immediately delete it again to
make sure you don't open it later by mistake.
You
can download a virus from the Internet. Your virus software
should do a scan to avoid the problem. If you are still unsure,
download it to disk and then do a scan. All of this is usually
not necessary.
