Virus Protection!
Last updated, March 15th 2005.
“Over 70000 known viruses,
averaging 12 new ones a day.
Is your anti-virus programme doing it’s job?”
Are you protected against new viruses?
Read below if you’re not sure!
1) Do you have an anti-virus programme running
on your computer?
2)
Do you have a symbol by your clock? Pass cursor over icons to see descriptions.
3)
Is it set for updates every day? If you haven’t set it up, then it’s not.
4)
Is your version of Windows up to date?
http://www.windowsupdate.com/
Yes
x 4 = No Worries, x 3 = Vulnerable to new
viruses and boot sector infections, 2, 1 or 0 = No Protection.
Are you are sure it wasn’t a 90 day trial
version that came with your new computer?
If you are not sure of any of the above
questions,
then you are probably not protected against the
latest viruses.
All
AV programs need some initial input from the user to establish an Internet
connection, and schedule.
You
can check the date of when it was last updated, or when the virus signature
file was created. Open up the program and go to the help menu and click About.
Look for a creation date or signature file date.
The
signature file is a file that contains data to identify viruses. If the date is
older than a week, then you have no protection against the latest.
Even
if you bought an anti-virus program today, it was made months ago and needs
updating immediately after its installation! This is how it learns about new
viruses created since it was made.
Stamp viruses out!
Limit funds? At
least action a live on-line virus check to clean any infection, and then
download the free programme. Make sure the menus have “check for updates”
ticked somewhere, and that it does it daily.
I
strongly recommend that you try the 25-day free trial of NOD32 Antivirus program. Get use to daily updates, and see
that full protection doesn’t have to be slow.
Read
all about it here.
A note about virus
warnings.
If someone forwards
(Fw:>) you a warning, please check before you pass it on. The worst hoax was
one that urged everyone to search his or her computer for a certain file, to
delete it immediately, and to pass the warning on to everyone in his or her
address book. The warning was a hoax, the file was a system file that everybody
has normally, and many computers never started again.
Do not forward
warnings until you know that it is a valid one.
For information on
viruses, hoaxes & jokes, search these sites, Encyclopedia, & Hoax List. If it is a hoax or well meaning false
warning, why not stop the chain of panic, and email the sender back with a link
to page that explained what their letter contained.
Information about
scanning for Viruses:
Fact: If
you get a virus, most likely it will come from a friend, and they wont know they’ve
sent it to you. That’s because they were not up-to-date.
Fact: There
are common viruses that duplicate themselves and use your address book to send
themselves out to everyone. These range from mild annoyance types to high-risk
payload carrying ones - worms.
Fact: The
latest type of virus can be web-based. Like “Nimda”, these infect you while
visiting an infected site, and can send out pings (feelers) to search for
active computers.
Fact: There are viruses that sneak in and allow
hackers to either gleam info from your computer, or use it as a stepping-stone,
covering their tracks for illegal operations. (Trojans)
Fact: Some
viruses carry payloads. Like “Sircam”, on a certain date or after so many
usages, they start their deleting and/or damaging of files, both personal &
system.
Fact: An
anti-virus programme bought today, was made months ago and is already out of
date. It must be updated from it’s website every week to be effective.
Fact: You don’t need attachments now
to catch a virus.
Fact: Reading the email using the Preview Pane is enough to infect you. Turn it
off.
Fact: You
can just be online without a Browser (IE) opened, and be infected within
minutes.
Disabling
the Preview Pane;
In the View menu of
Outlook Express goto Layout, and remove the tick for "show preview
pane".
For Incredimail go
to the View menu and untick Preview Pane.
.
Hint: Do
not open an email attachment until you have saved it into My Documents or Desktop,
then scan that folder. To Save; click on the paperclip symbol and click Save
Attachments, directing it into the destination of your choice. To Scan; find
that folder, right click over it, and click scan for viruses. If right click
isn’t an option, open your anti-virus programs, search for your folder,
highlight it and scan it from there.
Hint: If
the subject of the letter does not match the character of the sender, delete it
without opening it.
Hint: Do not rely on web-based ISP
virus scanning, often only attachments are scanned.
Hint: If
you are given the choice to Clean (also Heal & Fix), or Delete an infected
file, choose Clean first. The infected file may be a system file, so if you
delete it, the system may no longer work!
These usually live
in C:\Windows & C:\Windows\System folders etc…
Hint: Scan
all floppy disks, as well as custom made cd-roms before using them.
Hint: A
firewall can hide your computer from Internet hackers & web-based viruses.
It is a Sentry between you and the Internet. If you have XP, then make sure its
firewall is turned on, otherwise see ZoneAlarm on my freeware page for more
information.
New – Hint - Also
visit my Dangerous Emails page.
The Teddy Bear Hoax – it keeps on doing the rounds.
(alias: jdbgmgr.exe virus hoax )
If you get an email telling you to search & delete a
file
with the above name
and icon on your computer, do not do it!
It is a file everybody has, it is a part of Windows.
Rule of Thumb
– check all warnings out before acting upon them.
Go to a reliable source like your anti-virus website,
or simply search www.google.com using some unique word
or phase contained in the warning.
Many people have distributed warnings to all of their
contacts,
only to find the
file that was deleted actually worked their computer.
These hoaxes can be as damaging as a virus.
Do you see the serious implications here?
End of lesson.
If
you want a clean bill of health now, click ActiveScan.
You
supply your email address, download the initial set-up files (10mins.), and
then get Scanned.
This
may take up to an hour to complete.
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