Friday, September 26, 2008

ViRUS Prevention

Did you know that if you buy a new PC computer, turn it on, and connect it to the Internet, you will probably be infected with a virus, spyware, or adware within 20 minutes? You have about that long to update Windows (if you're on a PC), turn on a firewall, and update your virus protection software! Macs are much safer against these threats, but all users should read on.

Viruses

A computer virus is a program that "infects" your computer. "Trojans" and "worms" are similar. While many are not dangerous, some can cause extreme damage to your computer system. For example, they can:

  • Delete some or all of your files
  • Send themselves to everyone on your e-mail address list

Here are some steps you can take to prevent a computer virus infection:

  • Every computer should have anti-virus software on it. (This is also true of Macs, although they are much less vulnerable to viruses, especially with the newest OS X operating system.) The virus definitions that the software uses should be updated daily. (Usually, the software does this automatically when you connect to the Internet.) When your annual license run outs, update it immediately. Hundreds of new viruses are discovered each month. Here are links to two leading vendors and a review of some free options.
  • Use your anti-virus software to check every file that you receive from another person, especially files received over the Internet or on a diskette.
  • NEVER open attachments to e-mails you receive unless you are expecting them. That means you knew in advance that it was coming. Even if the e-mail comes from a friend or colleague, do not open it. Many viruses use a person's e-mail address book to spread the virus, so that the virus comes from someone you know (although the person did not knowingly send it to you).
  • The following file types are the most dangerous because they contain programs (as opposed to documents). NEVER open attachment with these extensions:
    • .exe
    • .com
    • .scr
    • .vbs
    • .cmd
    • .bat
    • .reg
  • Don't open attachments with no extension at all. Often, attachments sent from a Mac have no extension, so you cannot tell the type of file.
  • On a PC, by default, Windows does not show extensions. File extensions provide information about the type of file. Change this setting so you can see file extensions. Open Windows Explorer or My Computer. On the menu, choose View > Options to open the Options dialog box. If there is a View tab, click it. If there is not View tab, click the File Types tab. Then uncheck (by clicking its checkbox) "Hide file extensions for known file types." Click OK to close the dialog box.
  • Even Word documents (.doc), Excel documents, and other files can contain macros that functions as viruses. Make sure that you have virus checking turned on (this is automatic in later versions). In Word, choose Tools > Options (PC)/Preferences (Mac) to open the Options/Preferences dialog box. Click the Security tab, if you have one; otherwise, click the General tab. (This depends on the version.)
    • On the General tab, make sure Macro Virus Protection is checked. Click OK to close the dialog box. With this feature, when you open any Word document that contains macros, a message appears warning you about the macros and letting you disable them. When you see this message, you should disable macros if you didn't expect them to be there. Keep them if you created them or know that they were created to add functionality to the document.
    • On the Security tab, click the Macro Security button and choose one of the options, except the Low option, which doesn't protect you. Click OK twice.
  • For Windows, Microsoft keeps downloads on its web site that fix security and virus loopholes. Go to www.microsoft.com and click Downloads. Then look for your version of Windows. If you have Windows XP, choose Start>Help and Support and click the Office Updates link. There you can also turn on Automatic Updates. With automatic updates, whenever you turn on your computer and connect to the Internet, you will be notified if an update is available. Download it for the latest protection.
  • Here are some links to sites that monitor viruses. They provide information on current viruses. When you hear about a virus, before passing on the information, it's a good idea to check at these sites first. They also provide tools for getting rid of a virus.
  • All computers should have a software firewall. An often-recommended free one is Zone Labs' Zone Alarm. (They also have a "Pro" version that you have to pay for.) Another good firewall is Norton Personal Firewall ($49.95). Click the Macintosh link on the same page for their Mac products. If you have an always-on broadband connection, your modem should also include a hardware firewall.
  • Never download software from the Internet unless you are sure you know what you are getting. When a dialog box pops up and asks if you want to install some software (especially when you didn't ask for it), just say No, unless you are sure you need it. Download common free software from the companies' official sites, such as Apple, Microsoft, Macromedia, Adobe, etc.

Many reports of viruses are hoaxes. Here are three links that list hoaxes. Please do not forward any e-mails about viruses unless you check one of these sites first!

Remember that once you have an active virus, it easily spreads to others.

Spyware & Adware

Spyware is software that infects your computer and reports information on the computer back to a Web site or database. Spyware can capture your social security number, passwords, and personal information. It can lead to identify theft. Adware is software that creates pop-up ads when you open your browser, changes your browser's home page, or otherwise finds ways to force you to look at ads. Both can slow down your computer to a crawl. Very little spyware or adware is targeted to Macs. Here are some options:

Many people use both Ad-aware and Search & Destroy. Microsoft's Internet Explorer is very vulnerable to adware, especially, and can even send you viruses. Instead you can use the free Mozilla Firefox, which includes an ad blocker. It is highly recommended by experts. In fact, even Microsoft has recommended disabling JavaScript capabilities in Internet Explorer. However, if you do this, many Web sites will not work properly, as they depend on JavaScript to function. Here's how:

In Internet Explorer, choose Tools>Internet Options. Click the Security tab.

Click the Internet icon and then click the Default Level button. Drag the slider to the High value. You can then click the Trusted Sites icon on the Security tab and add sites that you want to access. These sites will then function properly.

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