Viruses (and like wise Trojans) can wreak serious havoc on your computer systems. Because most viruses are spread through the Internet and e-mail, anyone with a connection to the World Wide Web or an e-mail system is at risk. The best way to avoid being vulnerable is to understand how viruses’ work and what steps can be taken to avoid them. What is a Virus?
Viruses are small computer programs that are written in a variety of programming languages via scripts that can be executed on a multitude of computers and operating systems. Virus are typically small in size, which makes them very portable via email. Early viruses caused little harm and were never more than a minor nuisance until several years ago when the infamous Loveletter virus was created. The Loveletter virus was developed to quickly spread through computer systems. It arrived via e-mail and was opened and executed by an unsuspecting user. Subsequently, it sent a copy of itself to everyone in that user's address book, and overwrote all files of type "jpg" and "mp3" to that of the virus, causing the virus to be re-executed whenever one of these files was accessed. The result was a fast spreading virus that was easily reproduced, paving the way for many of the viruses that we now encounter. Viruses are more prevalent today than every before. There are two factors contributing to this: faster propagation and ease of development. Before the popularity of e-mail and the Internet, computer viruses survived and spread mainly by floppy disk. Today, virtually all new viruses are spread via e-mail, instant messaging, and the rouge websites. The Best Ways to Protect Computer Systems from Viruses Educate Yourself
The most important way to protect computers systems from viruses is to educate users about how viruses spread and how to avoid them. Anti-virus companies do a good job of keeping up on the newest viruses but typically are not quick enough to design a virus definition before the outbreak occurs. One simple rule for opening e-mail: Do not open any attachment that isn't expected. Simply delete the e-mail. Even if you know the person who sent the email, it doesn't mean it's not a virus. If it looks important but you still aren't sure, contact the person who sent the email to confirm its authenticity. A few minutes of precaution can prevent hours, if not days of costly virus cleanup and downtime. Use Anti-Virus Software
The anti-virus company monitors and detects new virus activity. Once they have a new virus identified they create Virus Definitions that can identify a particular virus signature. These Definitions/updates then get downloaded to the anti-virus software on PC’s that have the software installed. Stay Current on Software & Operating System Updates
Some viruses can exploit a vulnerability in software. Occasionally, these viruses can actually execute from a Web page or e-mail without actually being executed by a user. It is important to note that the best and easiest way to protect against these types of viruses is to stay current on software and operating system updates What if you think you have a Virus?
If your computer is running slow, acts “funny”, locks up or shuts down often, contact us for advice. We may be able to help you over the phone or give you resources to find a cure.
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