Virus Protection Basics
1) You need to have a virus protection program for your computer. Viruses often come from people you know or with a subject line you think you can trust. Virus protection programs help sort out the good and the infected.
We recommend Symantec's Norton Anti-Virus. Once you buy the program you're not done. You need to keep your subscription up to date (usually you get a yearly subscription) and keep your virus definitions up to date. New viruses come out everyday. Virus protection companies figure out how to detect these viruses and fix them - and they update their websites with this information. Norton lets you setup automatic updates so every time you are on-line your computer will check with Norton's website for updates and automatically download them to your computer.
2) You need to back-up your files. If the files on your computer are valuable to you you should back them up onto a CD, portable hard drive, or another computer. How often should you back up? Ask yourself how many weeks or months of work you are willing to lose should your computer die or get a nasty virus. The backup should include all documents, digital images, email & your address book.
3) Spyware can slow down your system and disrupt your connection. Spyware is any application that tracks your online behavior without your knowledge or consent. Spyware comes in many forms including adware, Trojans, system monitors, home page hijackers, keyloggers and more. If you are having a problem with ads popping up a lot when you're surfing the web or system slowness or intermittent internet connection you might consider this issue. www.webroot.com sells a product called SpySweeper that helps protect your system. We have it on all the computers in our office and recommend it. You can try it for free for 30 days. Anti-Virus programs do not block spyware.
4)
Close your email's "preview pane". If you open
your email program and see a list of messages in your inbox and have to
click each one to open it that is the safest option. If you see the list
of messages at the top and a message open at the bottom you have your
preview pane open. You will automatically be opening up a virus if you
have it highlighted in the list.
To Shut off the Preview Pane:
* Open Outlook/Outlook Express
* Click "View" on the menu at
the top
* Click Layout from the drop-down menu
* Uncheck the box that says "show preview
pane" & click "OK"
5)
If you get a message you think is suspicious call the person
who supposedly sent it and ask them about it. If you do not think the
message is safe delete it without opening it and then delete it out of
the the "deleted items" folder as well.