Staying Virus Free
Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2004 8:27 pm
[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.
[/color]
[Taken from Xtramsn.co.nz]
[http://xtramsn.co.nz/technology/0,,7939-3144047,00.html]
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.
[/color]
[Taken from Xtramsn.co.nz]
[http://xtramsn.co.nz/technology/0,,7939-3144047,00.html]
