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Help - Virus protection
What do I need to know about computer viruses?
Protection is essential
With so many viruses being distributed daily, it is essential
that you have your computer network and each individual computer
(file server, mail server, workstations, standalone and laptops)
protected by up-to-date virus checking software. It is not
enough to simply have the latest virus checker, you must make
sure that it is installed and active on every computer. Most
good virus checkers will clean viruses entering or leaving
the system with notification to both the sender and the intended
receiver.
Even if you have virus checking software installed, remember
that virus software cannot automatically detect new viruses!
It is not enough to just install and keep your virus software
up to date. You must try to prevent new viruses from entering
your system.
Attachments are your enemy
Any email attachment must be considered a possible
virus threat. Trusting the source is not enough - in fact
the current spread of email viruses are more likely to come
from someone you know since they have probably been automatically
sent from the address book of a user who has been infected.
A computer virus can pretend it is a friend, colleague or
business associate who is sending you a file for your attention,
for example the recent SirCam virus.
It is worthwhile having a company policy which prohibits
opening attachments contained in email messages - there can
be no guarantee that they do not contain viruses. If you receive
an email with an attachment from someone you do not know,
delete it. If you get an unexpected email from someone
you know that contains an attachment, check with the sender
first before opening the attached document. Even email attachments
from work contacts should be treated suspiciously.
Do not open attached .exe files or files with
no file extensions, unless you know exactly what they are.
Windows contains an option to hide file extensions on attachments.
For your protection, turn this feature off. Some viruses
come in the form of picture.jpg.exe. If you have chosen
to hide your file extensions, the attachment will appear simply
as picture.jpg, which may trick you into opening the
file assuming it is safe.
It is always preferable to save an attachment to your hard
drive before opening it to give your virus software a better
chance of detecting that a virus is contained within the file.
However, saving an attachment to your hard drive before opening
it will not protect you from any virus contained within
the file if it is not detected.
When opening a Word, Excel or other MS-Office document, do
not enable macros unless you are 100% sure you trust
the source. For example, if you have written an Excel
spreadsheet yourself with macros, then obviously you want
to run them. Even then you cannot guarantee that it does not
contain a new, as yet undetected macro virus.
People are the problem
Viruses are not only spread by computers, they are spread
by people. No matter what level of protection you implement
to check for viruses, there is always the chance of one slipping
through and ending up in someone's inbox. In these cases,
your business relies entirely on recipients not opening attachments
that they are unsure off. Check the file extension of all
attachments carefully and ensure everyone in your company
knows and follows the instructions in the previous section.
A good general rule to follow is: if you don't know what it
is or what it means, don't open it!
Broadcast emails are a menace
When you hear about a new computer virus or a new outbreak,
warn your own staff, but do not broadcast a warning
to every one you know. Broadcast emails simply cause confusion
for the receiver (Is it a warning or is it actually a virus?),
cause unwanted email traffic and increase the likelihood that
a virus will be spread. Many of these warnings are hoaxes
that can get confused with real threats. If your virus protection
software detects a virus it will advise the sender and the
receiver that a virus has been detected and disposed of.
If you are unsure about a particular virus warning, visit
the website of your virus protection software for the latest
updates on current viruses. You can also download updates
for your virus software from these websites to protect you
from new strains of particular viruses as they are discovered.
Popular virus protection software links:
(all links open in a new window)
 McAfee's
Anti-Virus
Symantec/
Norton Anti-Virus
Vet
Anti-Virus
Computer
Associates InoculateIT Anti-Virus
If you are unsure whether a virus is a hoax or not, click
here for a regularly updated list of known hoaxes.
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