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You can protect yourself against most real
computer virus outbreaks by following the steps below. If you do these you will be well protected against the latest computer viruses.
The two easiest, and most important things you can do
are:
- Make sure you have the latest antivirus
software, and have it set to update automatically at least once a week.
- Never
click on any unsolicited (unasked for) attachments in your email, even
if you are prompted to do so, and you know the sender.
Some of the following instructions are a bit technical
if you are new to computing. If you at least follow the above two steps, that will give you at least 95% protection
against these pests.
About virus warnings: Email messages warning you about
viruses or telling you how to protect yourself against them sometimes actually contain
viruses Such warnings are false or they are
hoaxes 99.9% of the time. (Except, of course, the ones I send you J). If you click on the attachment in the warning message to "protect
yourself" against the "terrible new virus that no one knows about", bang! You're computer is infected.
So don't fall for fake virus warnings, and don't open unsolicited (unasked for), email attachments!
The latest trick that is starting to be used by hackers
is to break into unsuspecting, unprotected websites and infect the website with program code that will infect whoever
visits that site. If you are prompted to download anything answer NO or CANCEL. If
you are keeping your antivirus software up to date, it is extremely unlikely that you will
be affected.
The same rules apply to instant messaging or "chat"
software. Don't open or click on any files or attachments you receive unsolicited (not asked for).
If you do nothing else, do at least these two things
(I'm repeating myself, but these steps bear repeating!):
- Install the latest antivirus program or stick with Windows
Antivirus which comes with Windows.
- Don't click on unsolicited email attachments, even if you are prompted to do so.
(Answer NO or CANCEL if you are prompted to download or open anything
you did not intend to download)
The following steps will protect you against all infected
email attachments and most other virus sources.
(Most of you are not on corporate computer networks. If you are on a network, the "don't open attachments"
rule won't protect you in all cases.)
Steps for complete protection:
- Install the latest antivirus program, and make sure
it automatically checks for updates at least weekly.
Be sure your antivirus program is automatically
starting up with Windows. Antivirus programs are not perfect,
but if you keep them up to date they can catch and disable 95% of any viruses that try to infect your computer.
- Be sure you have the latest version of your Internet
browser AND all the latest Windows security updates.
IF YOU DON'T DO THIS STEP, YOUR ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE WILL STILL TRAP MOST OF THE NEWEST VIRUSES AS OF TODAY. IF YOU HAVE UPDATED
YOUR SOFTWARE AS OF TODAY. That will not protect you against the next one, until your antivirus company catches
up with a new update.
- Disable previewing in whatever email program you use. This is NOT absolutely necessary, so far, if
you have the latest updates installed. Many virus infected attachments will infect your computer merely
by being "previewed" when you click on the message header if you don't have the latest updates.
- Don't think you can tell a virus-infected email by
the subject heading. Most viruses continually
change the subject line to keep you from identifying it. But you
rarely have to worry about opening an infected email message. It's almost
always the attachment
within the message that contains the virus. It's when you click on the attachment that your computer becomes
infected, if your antivirus software has not
been updated sufficiently. There are other ways hackers can get viruses onto your computer, but they are by far
the exception.
- Don't click on any attachments within
email messages, even from people
you know, unless you know what it is and you
are expecting it. Many virus programs, once they
infect a computer, use the victim's address book, and send themselves to each email address it finds there. Thus
virus infected email messages will often come from someone you know!
It's usually when you click on an infected attachment
that the virus runs and infects your computer. You can always leave questionable email or attachments unopened
in your inbox and send an email to the person it came from to ask them if they intended to send it. (Answer NO or CANCEL if you are prompted to download or open anything you did not
intend to download)
- Delete any messages you decide not to keep and make sure your Trash folder is set in your email program to
be cleared regularly. If you are suspicious of any message, you can zap it into oblivion instead of into the Trash
folder by highlighting the message and holding your <Shift> key down when you delete the message. If you
have already deleted a suspicious message the normal way, you can go to your Trash folder and delete it from there.
