|
A computer virus is a program and not a microorganism, but it is infectious and can be highly complex. Viruses implant instructions in other programs or storage devices that can attack, scramble, or erase computer data. The virulence of computer viruses lies in their ability to replicate themselves and spread from system to system. Few computing systems seem to be immune to infection.
|
| If your computer begins to do things out of the ordinary, or if it stops being able to do things it has always done in the past, it may be infected by a virus. It is important, though, to distinguish between virus symptoms and those that come from corrupted system files, which can look very similar. Remain calm and objective, and rule out more standard causes before suspecting a virus. Prevention is a matter of vigilance and avoiding contact with unknown disks. It is usually the unwary who get computer viruses. The following activities are among the most common ways of getting computer viruses. Minimizing the frequency of these activities will reduce your risk of getting a computer virus: Freely sharing computer programs and system disks, downloading executable software from public-access bulletin boards, using your personal disk space (floppy disks, etc.) with public computers or other microcomputers that are used by more than one person
Opening e-mail attachments without first scanning them for viruses. Following is a list of some recommendations for safe computing:
Install virus detection software on your computer. There are two general functions that anti-virus programs perform: scanning for and removing viruses in files on disks, and monitoring the operation of your computer for virus-like activity (either known actions of specific viruses or general suspicious activity).
|
|
Most anti-virus packages contain routines that can perform each kind of task. One good virus protection software package is Norton Anti-Virus for PC-compatible and Mac OS computers.
Back up your files. Viruses are one more very good reason to always back up your files. Note: If you back up a file that is already infected with a virus, you can re-infect your system by restoring files from the backup copies. Check your backup files with virus scanning software before using them.
Keep your original application and system disks locked (or write-protected). This will prevent the virus from spreading to your original disks.
If you must insert one of your application disks into an unknown machine, lock (write-protect) it first, and unlock your application disk only after verifying that the machine is virus-free.
Obtain public-domain software from reputable sources. Check newly downloaded software thoroughly using reputable virus detection software on a locked floppy disk for any signs of infection before you copy it to a hard disk. This can also help protect you from Trojan Horse programs.
Quarantine infected systems. If you discover that a system is infected with a virus, immediately isolate it from other systems. In other words, disconnect it from any network it is on and don't allow anyone to move files from it to another system. Once the system has been disinfected, you can copy or move files.
|
