Use this link to the Adobe Reader pdf file with correct formatting.
Malicious computer code meant to cause disruption to your computer.
Viruses attach themselves to programs or documents.
Worms send themselves around the internet.
Trojan horses appear to be cute screen savers or games, but are actually destructive.
Usually through email, in attachments such as documents and pictures.
Email hundred’s of the victim’s personal files across the internet.
Email itself to other computers, often the friends of the victim.
Prevent programs from running on your computer.
Destroy all data.
Prevent your computer from booting (starting-up).
Thirty minutes to several hours. As much as several hundred dollars. You may have to bring or ship your computer to a repair facility.
Do safe computing by:
Use an antivirus program and update the virus definitions frequently.
Attachments: Don’t open attachments that you are not expecting.
File types: Don’t open files ending in .exe, .com, .bat, .vbs (Visual Basic Script), .bin, .dot, .reg, .js, .xlm, .pif and .scr (screensaver), but now also ending in .jpg (picture).
See the discussion of “safe computing” at the end of this newsletter.
Symantec Norton AntiVirus and McAfee VirusScan have 95% of the anti-virus program market. With McAfee VirusScan, use version 6.02 instead of 6.0, because version 6.0 causes problems with some version of Windows operating systems. Both Norton AntiVirus and McAfee VirusScan use virus definitions and also check for computer code that takes actions typical of a virus.
Author’s comments: Norton AntiVirus has a much better user interface. The McAfee web site has a pop-up advertisement window that is aggravating.
Two free anti-virus programs are AVG and AntiVir.
Smart Computing Magazine, August, 2002, said this about free anti-virus programs:
Every known virus has a unique set of computer code. This computer code is analyzed and given a definition. When your anti-virus program updates its virus definitions, it is adding definitions of new viruses, so when it scans for viruses on your computer, the scan will include recent viruses as well as all old viruses. Having an anti-virus program without updating the definitions frequently is like having a car but never changing the oil; the car’s engine will die sooner than later, and your computer will get infected. If you don’t like those results then change the car’s oil frequently and update the virus definitions frequently.
This how to manually update the virus definitions in Norton AntiVirus:
See this information on the FHF Computer Club web site:
http://www.foxhillfarm.org/Groups/Computer/CC_Newsletters/Virus-scan.htm
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/tools.list.html
Use this Symantec web page for searching for virus information:
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/vinfodb.html
Symantec support:
800-927-3991 $29.95 per incident
900-646-0007 $2.95 per minute
This is a discussion of “safe computing” by http://hoaxbusters.org/hoax4.html.
In the early days of computing, the main delivery source for
malicious programs (viruses, worms, Trojan horses) was via file sharing –
passing files around on disk or diskette. These days, e-mail is the vehicle of
choice because this is the weakest link in the computer security chain.
Infected programs are easily passed along as attachments to an e-mail message,
and a simple click of the mouse is all that is required to start a devastating
chain reaction, sometimes resulting in the complete destruction of all data
stored on a hard drive.
These types of programs are known as executable programs. One has to actually
cause the program to run to activate the malicious code within the program. You
could compare this to running a copy of Word, or Quicken, or any other type of
program that produces some kind of result. Typically, these executable programs
end with the file extension of .exe, .com, .bat, .vbs
(Visual Basic Script) and .scr (screensaver).
Virus writers take advantage of security flaws that are built right into these
mail programs to deposit their evil little "worms." Most of these
worms work the same way: it first infects your computer, then, exploiting the
"flaws" within Outlook or Outlook Express, sends itself to everyone
in your e-mail address book. Because all of this happens automatically, without
the knowledge of the infected user, the infected file that you received will
have appeared to have been sent to you specifically by your friend. It will
appear to be a file that they really wanted you to have. You then activate the
virus in your system by double clicking on the file, and the process begins all
over again, with the infected file being sent from your computer, and so on,
and so on, and so on. Now, because of certain Microsoft programming flaws, it
is possible to become infected merely by looking at the message in the preview
pane of Outlook or Outlook Express, with no further action required by the
user.
There are literally thousands of computer viruses. Fortunately, most of these
are not in circulation. In the parlance of the trade, these are known as being in
the zoo. But when they are out on the Internet, being circulated in
e-mail, they are known as being in the wild. Some of the viruses
seen these days are actually worms. Generally, a worm will find its way into
the user's address book and send a copy of itself to everyone in the address
book. Remember the Melissa Virus? It was sending so many copies of itself that
it literally shut down some big commercial systems. Some of the worms making
the rounds these days are Pretty Park, Happy 99, My Pics, Freelink and Bubble
Boy. Some of these worms are benign in nature, such as making a message pop up
on a monitor screen. But some, like the recent Naked Wife virus,
are very destructive, able to wipe out selected files, or an
entire hard drive. Viruses are able to hide in files, in computer memory, or in
the boot sector of a hard drive.
So what can one do to protect against contracting a computer virus? Practice
safe computing! First and foremost, use an antivirus program. And for
goodness sake, update the virus data file on a regular basis (weekly if
possible). Always check programs downloaded from the Web with an
antivirus program. Always check software borrowed from a friend (even if
they say that it's virus free). Never open a program received via e-mail
(this last piece of advice may upset some folks), even from someone that is
known (the program could still be infected without the sender's knowledge).
Here is how to practice safe computing:
|
[Usually ending in .exe, .com, .bat, .vbs (Visual Basic Script) and .scr (screensaver), but now also ending in .jpg (picture).]