Protecting Your Computer From Virus Attacks

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Protecting Your Computer From Virus Attacks

by John Gee

Anecdotal evidence points to a definite increase in computer virus activity in the online gardening community. A very active virus strain at the moment is Klez (strictly speaking a worm). It is estimated to currently infect about 7% of all PC's worldwide. Its spread is assisted by the fact that it looks at email data in the infected computer and not only selects an address to email itself to (a common method of spreading) but it also selects an email address to pretend that the infected email that it sends out has come from. So you can receive an infected email supposedly from:

Person A

Person B

Contrary to folklore viruses can infect Mac's as well as PC's (although there are definitely many more PC viruses).

To help our readers we have prepared this very brief, nuts & bolts article on protecting your computer from a virus attack.

How to protect yourself:

Get a virus scanner and keep it up to date via regular downloads of virus definition files. Popular scanners include Norton's (produced by Symantec probably the best seller) and McAfee. If you do nothing else DO THIS.
Get a virus scanner and keep it up to date via regular downloads of virus definition files. OK I repeat myself but it is VITAL to have up to date anti-virus software on your computer. If you don't you WILL get a virus sometime.
Use firewall software to protect yourself while surfing. This is essential if you have an "always on" internet connection like cable/DSL and highly desirable if you connect via the phone line. You will be surprised at the number of alert messages you will get while surfing. Norton's Internet Security is popular with home users.

Zone Alarm produce a very popular & easy to use free version.
Set your virus scanner to scan incoming emails.
If someone is sending you a word processing document ask them to send it as a Rich Text File (RTF) document (rather than for example a .doc document). RTF documents do not harbour the macro viruses capable of infecting .doc (the normal Word document).
Do not open files with a double extension (e.g. flower.txt.vbs)
Turn your email preview facility off.
Make your browser prompt if ActiveX scripts are being used on your browser.
(in Microsoft IE go to Tools/Internet Options/Security/Custom level/ActiveX Controls & Plugins). When surfing & you get a prompt, do not enable ActiveX unless you really trust the site.
If an email is suspicious - delete it.
Don't open chain & junk emails - delete them.

REMEMBER TO MAKE REGULAR BACKUPS OF YOUR DATA

Hoaxes:
As if coping with the real virus menace was not enough there have been many hoax virus scares.

If you receive a warning email that a particularly vicious virus is on the loose and you suspect that it is a hoax (two clues are the often dramatic nature of the supposed "virus" and a request for you to forward the "warning" to everyone that you know) check out Symantec's list of hoaxes

Free Anti-virus software
If you cannot afford to buy anti-virus
then checkout Grisofts's AVG anti-virus software

Free Online Virus Scan
Symantec (Norton's)
Housecall - Trend
RAV (scans a single file)

Information on the latest virus threats:
Symantec Anti Virus Center
and Symantec Security Response

Information on a particular virus:
McAfee Info. Library
McAfee Info. Library Search
Symantec Sophos
Computer Associates
Computer Associates Search

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