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+$%VIRUS ALERT%+$> Part 2 - Downloading Viruses

 

Many Internet users are under the illusion that they do not
need to worry about computer viruses. Reasons stated are
usually that they very rarely download programs and only use
programs sent to them by friends or business acquaintances

This is false sense of security. Viruses can enter your
computer from various sources.

 

The importance of an up to date anti-virus program can not
be stressed enough. And I mean an UP TO DATE one. Not the
same old program installed on your computer since you
purchased it. Let me explain why.

 

If a new virus was written today and distributed, your
anti-virus program would not recognise it as it is NEW,
because the program manufacturers have not told the program
of it's existence.

 

So in effect, if your anti-virus program is more than
twenty-four hours old it is out of date! I know of some
people that are scanning their systems with programs from
1996, believing they will detect new viruses - this is very
foolish.

 

Many programs now let you connect to the manufacturers web
site on a regular basis and download new virus definitions,
so that your program is kept up to date. Norton Anti-Virus
from Symantec is one of these excellent programs. For a
small annual fee and I mean small around £3.00 GBP, your
virus program is kept up to date. For a program that costs
only around £25 GBP this is a real bargain.

 

YOU DO HAVE AN ANTI-VIRUS PROGRAM DON'T YOU?
I have to be blunt here if you do not, and you connect to
the Internet regularly you are nothing less than STUPID.

This is the very, very least security you need to connect
your personal or business computer system to a network that
has the capability to completely trash your entire computer
system or network, and possibly destroy your business.

£25 PAY IT TODAY!!

 

Now I can here you still saying you are never likely to
download a virus, but viruses come in various forms. For
instance you could download a useful program or game from
the Internet or have one sent to you by a friend that may
seem perfectly innocent, it may work very well and you may
be pleased with the program. But many viruses enter systems
as Trojans these are virus programs piggy backing legitimate
working programs. And without an up to date anti-virus
detector you will never know if this has taken place.

 

One well know program for this is 'Back Orifice'. This
program once installed lets a user remotely access your
computer when you are online, they can then do just about
anything they like. Delete files, create new ones, see
exactly what you see on your screen and of course read your
personal and business documents. And if you have a video
camera connected to your computer they can even turn it on
and WATCH YOU.

 

AGHHHHHH!!!!! Get an up to date anti-virus program.

 

Why would anyone want to bother with little old me? Well your
system may not be that interesting but once access is gained,
and you are online for long enough other programs can be
uploaded and your computer can then be used to attack other
systems. A denial of service attach could be launched
against a web site for instance, as was done a few months
ago against sites like Yahoo. This attach would come from
your system and the perpetrator will be away scot-free.

 

Presently most attacks come from web servers with a
permanent connection, but as more users stay online longer
and possibly with the end of dynamic IP addresses for some
access, these kind of attacks will increase.

 

And so to sum up.

 

Never download a program from the Internet unless you are
sure it is from a 'trusted source'. A program that will
execute and install on download will end in .EXE

 

Never install programs sent to you from your best buddy that
they have tested and found to be fine. They probably will
not be. (This reminds me of a local radio show with a slot
on computers. They recommended a novel little game that you
could download and have great fun with. They said they had
run it on their system for two weeks without any problems,
so it was OK. BIG MISTAKE it contained 'Back Orifice' and
was distributed in it's thousands).

 

Never open e-mail attachments without running an up to date
virus program on them. If you do not know who they are from,
it is better to delete them.

 

Viruses that come in the mail like the 'Mellissa' strains
come from computers of your friends and business
acquaintances. They say things like "open this great program"
and when you do of course they infect your system, go to
your mail box and send everyone in your address book a copy
signed by you. BUT YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE OPENED IT IN THE
FIRST INSTANCE!

 

A quick note on Macro viruses in Word documents. Do you
really need to send/receive that Word doc? If you can use
NotePad or SimpleText use them; they can not contain Macro
Viruses.

 

Get an up to date anti virus program today it could save you
a lot of grief.

 

Anti-Virus Programs
Norton AntiVirus: http://www.symantec.com/nav/index.html
InoculateIT (Free personal edition): http://antivirus.cai.com/

 

 

 

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