Anti-Virus
How did I get a VIRUS? You can be infected by simply viewing a web page, but most are passed by email or hidden in downloaded applications. If you receive an Email and are unsure of the sender or if it contains a attachment don't open it. Also avoid using Internet Explorer, instead use a more secure browser such as Mozilla Firefox.
As soon as your computer is ready to go on the internet an anti-virus program should be installed and updated on line. Computer viruses can severely damage files and even the boot sector of the bios making your computer unable to start up. Viruses come in a variety of formats such as WORMS, TROJANS and EMAIL VIRUSES.
- Trojan Horses- Are not true computer viruses because they do not replicate themselves but instead are passed to users masquerading as a different file.(like a song) Because a Trojan is a program they are usually harmless until activated by the user at which point it unleashes it's destructive payload.
- Worms- These malicious programs search for security flaws in it's hosts network and begin to replicate from machine to machine using the security vulnerabilities.
- Email Viruses- These pose the greatest threat to the average user because of way they are spread. The virus will appear as an attachment from someone you likely trust and when opened will send itself to everyone in your address book along with doing whatever damage it's programmed to do.
There are several reasons why people write these viruses such as:
- Harvesting personal information
- Financial gain
- Attack specific companies
- Pranks
- Research projects
Protect Yourself
Ensure your anti-virus has automatic updates turned on (most are set that way by default) and if your software supports automated scans it should be set to scan your files at least once a week. A full system scan takes a considerable amount of time and processing power so it should be done while the computer is idle.