Staying Virus Free

[Tami]

[color=\"darkred\"]Originally Posted On GraphixGround by Endophyte March 6 2004



Staying Virus Free

With the host of worms and viruses that are currently marauding across the Internet, it's obviously important to keep a close eye on your computer's security.

But, with over 10 new variants appearing in the last two days alone, keeping up with the latest developments can seem like a bewildering task.

To help, the team at Xtra have put together some simple tips you can follow and steps you can take to keep your computer secure.

How it begins

When new email worms do appear on the Internet, there's usually a small time lapse between when they're first detected, and when anti-virus software (such as Xtra's email anti-virus filter) is updated to block them.

So, while its unlikely, there is a chance that you might receive email with a malicious attachment before Xtra's email anti-virus filter can block it.

Even if you do receive an email with a virus attached to it, your computer isn't normally infected unless you open the attachment itself.

Don't touch that file!

Such attachments come in all shapes and sizes, but more often than not they are what's called executable files. For example, the recent MyDOOM email worm was commonly hidden in a .zip or.exe file.

More recently, the Netsky-D email worm carried itself inside a .pif file.

Whatever they hide behind though, the important thing to remember is [color=\"red\"]don't[/color] open them - it's probably the single most effective thing you can do to stay secure.

As a general rule of thumb, if an attachment looks suspicious it probably is, so delete it, don't open it.

That way you'll minimise any risk of infecting and damaging your computer.

Cleaning up your computer

If you do think you might have infected your computer by opening one of these attachments, it's very important that you remove the worm or virus as soon as possible.

Many worms that have appeared recently don't do any damage to your computer by themselves, so if it has been infected you might not notice any problems right away.

But, while such worms won't damage your computer directly, they could open a 'back door' leaving it vulnerable to hackers. They can also infect your email address book and try to send themselves on to other users.

Check your system

To check if your computer has been infected, you'll need to use a scanning tool, such as HouseCall that's provided by Xtra's anti-virus filter supplier, Trend Micro.

HouseCall will check for most known email worms that might be on your computer and if it has been infected, the tool will also remove them.

You can find HouseCall on Trend Mirco's Web Site.

Using and updating anti-virus software

Anti-virus software is another useful layer of protection against worms and viruses.
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[Taken from Xtramsn.co.nz]
[http://xtramsn.co.nz/technology/0,,7939-3144047,00.html]

[Tami]

How Do I Know When a Virus Hits My Computer?

Detect and eliminate viruses and worms that manage to sneak past your antivirus utility.


Scott Spanbauer
From the September 2004 issue of PC World magazine

In my garage, I have carefully stored not one, but two IBM Selectric II typewriters. While we may conquer viruses, worms, spyware, and other malicious code someday, I'm keeping both of them as backups just in case the situation continues its current downward spiral. Who knows, I may need it to bang out my Selectric Tips column someday.

Okay, so maybe I'm overreacting. But even if you follow every online safety measure, there's no guarantee you won't get nailed by the next Internet worm. When that day comes, here's the very first thing you should do: Relax.

Then calmly get to work eradicating the invader. Relatively few viruses start destroying your data right away, and most don't damage anything. In fact, the virus may not do anything at all.

How will you know if you've got a virus or worm that your antivirus software doesn't detect? Start by looking for unusual activity on your PC, such as unexplained hard-disk activity (listen for disk sounds or watch the PC's disk access LED) or network access. (Note that unexplained hard-disk activity and network communications are usually harmless; see this month's Windows Tips column for more on this subject.)

To put an icon in your Windows XP system tray that shows when programs are using your network connection, choose Start, Control Panel, Network Connections, right-click the network connection you want to monitor, choose Properties, check Show icon in notification area when connected, and click OK



Be sure to configure your antivirus software to update automatically, and schedule daily virus scans of your PC. Some vendors issue multiple updates in a single day to counter new threats. If you think you may have been hit, don't hesitate to update your software and scan for viruses manually. Remember: If your software is set to perform scans and to download updates, but your computer is generally in standby mode or powered off at that time, you have a problem.

If you suspect that your PC has a virus or worm, but your antivirus software has not detected or stopped it, take these steps to prevent it from spreading.

Pull the plug: Physically disconnect phone lines, network cables, and wireless cards (or turn built-in wireless units off). This will instantly stop viruses and Trojan horses on your PC from connecting to or infecting other computers, and will keep your PC safe from some worms.

Now pull the other plug: Don't open, close, or save anything (unless not saving would cause important work to be lost). And don't shut down Windows. Turn the PC off instead. This blocks viruses from creating or modifying any more files on your hard disk as part of Windows' normal shutdown process, which is when many of these modifications occur.

Use a recovery disk: The best antivirus programs let you create a bootable rescue or recovery floppy or CD



you can restart your computer without activating viruses lurking on the PC's hard disk. Check your program's online help or manual for the steps required to create a recovery disk, and then test the disk to make sure your PC is configured to boot from removable media.

Quick Virus Fixes

If you're working on Uncle Joe's computer when the latest worm strikes, and Uncle Joe has never heard of antivirus software, all is not lost. Head to one of these sites for quick, free detection and removal tools and online scans:

Symantec Security Response
Trend Micro Housecall
McAfee Virus Removal Tools for Lovsan, Klez, and Bugbear
Panda ActiveScan

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[Endo]

This is a really simple question to answer – you need to use antivirus software to protect your own computer, and to prevent your computer from being used to pass on infections to other machines without your knowledge. If you use the internet and you don’t take precautions, you’re going to get infected. And you’ll infect others, including those you care about most like your friends, family, and business contacts because their information is in your email address book and other files on your computer.

If you don’t care about infecting others, let’s look at the economic argument for a moment. You have a computer that must have cost at least $600, and perhaps as much as $4,000. On top of that you’ll have a monitor for which you paid between $250 and $1000, and you’re running software costing at least $500 dollars. If you have business or specialist packages installed then I’m guessing you may have invested $5000 in software alone. You will probably pay upwards of 25 dollars a month for your internet connection. And if you store personal data on your PC, it is probably worth more than money to you.

So you’ve got equipment worth something like $1400 if you’re computing on the cheap, right up to (and beyond) $10,000 if you flex your wallet a little. Think of this as being the same in price as an acceptable older used car right up to the pretty good used car you could buy for ten thousand dollars.

Now imagine that the car had all the locks removed and could be started without a key – and of course you could paint “STEAL ME” on it for good measure. That makes a lot of sense..yea right!

Having a computer that does not have up-to-date antivirus and firewall protection is pretty much exactly the same. You are simply asking for trouble!

This kind of trouble doesn’t need to be invited twice, because viruses, worms, Trojans and all the rest, are designed to find unprotected computers and attack them. They don’t seek out protected computers! If they find one, they simply move on.

NOTE: Firewalls are one good way to keep the net-nasties moving on, you can learn more about them at: http://www.antivirus-report.com/freeware-firewall.html

Remember, computer viruses are designed, they don’t just happen by accident. Because human intelligence is behind the viruses they develop quickly, use surprising and unexpected tactics, and they hit us where we are weakest.

So if you can afford over $1500 on a computer and $300 a year on internet connections, you can definitely afford another $50 to make your computer safe (and prevent it from being used to spread viruses and Trojan horses behind your back).

If you’re not convinced about the cost argument, consider the case of David L. Smith - the self-confessed author of the infamous Melissa worm. When he was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment and a fine of $5,000 in New Jersey, the court adjudged Smith's worm to have caused more than £55 million pounds worth of damage!

Against the cost we stand to lose, the risk of losing our priceless personal files, and being blamed by friends and relatives for infecting their machines, the top antivirus software programs cost as little as 2 months internet connection. They all include constant and unlimited automatic updates that keep your system safe and clean.

And if you weren’t convinced by the good citizen argument that you should protect your computer to stop others getting infected, then it might be worth mentioning that there is a movement to make people not using antivirus software legally responsible should their machine be used as part of an attack (even if they did not know about it). (Note: I’m not personally a part of such a movement, but it does have its merits!)

So, be a good citizen whilst protecting your wallet and your sanity by installing good antivirus software and keeping it up to date.

To learn more about effective, easy to afford and use PC protection tools, visit http://www.antivirus-report.com

[Source]