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About Viruses |
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What is a virus? |
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Simply put, a virus is a type of software that "infects" a computer. It's typically
inserted into a program, and when that program is executed, the virus activates
and attaches itself to other programs in your PC. Viruses can be a simple prank--an
annoying pop-up message or blue screen, for instance--but too often a virus is a
malicious attempt to outright destroy data and programs.
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There are several different types of viruses, but they all have a common thread
that you should remember: Viruses aren't actually attached to data; they must be
run in some form to infect a PC or its data. For instance, boot viruses are stored
on floppies and infect a PC when the floppy is left in the drive during boot. Upon
startup, the virus launches and then spreads to other floppies and wipes out data.
Macro viruses are hidden within documents or data, and unleashed when the macro
is run. Viruses also commonly come in the form of Web downloads and e-mail attachments,
embedded in EXE, VBScript or database files.
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But no matter what form it's disguised in, the virus must be triggered in order
to run. So if you receive an e-mail attachment with a virus, for instance, as long
as you don't open (run) the message, you should be safe. Delete the message immediately
if you suspect a virus.
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Viruses can infect and destroy immediately, or launch on a specified date. They
can affect single desktops, or spread to entire networks, servers and Web sites.
While many viruses are simply pranks or annoyances, others are more complex and
their effects can be devastating. Viruses can obliterate data, corrupt programs
so that they no longer run, stall servers with e-mail bombs, and--in the case of
the "I Love You" worm virus--replace files, steal passwords and infect address books
as it propagates itself.
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How are viruses spread? |
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In the past, the most common way to spread a virus was through a floppy disk. But
today, hackers and virus villains have a much more powerful and easier means of
infecting PCs: the Internet. Web downloads and e-mail attachments are the most common
ways of contracting a PC virus. And when you consider how much you--and your data--depend
on both of those technologies, you realize the crucial importance of smart and safe
computing. We strongly recommend that you run our virus checker, and run the full
PC Pitstop tests to make sure you've applied the appropriate e-mail security settings
in Outlook or Outlook Express. To help guard against e-mail viruses, you can also
check out Jason Levine's Script Sentry interceptor, which checks for malicious scripts
hidden in various types of files.
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Protect Your PC: Five-Step Guide |
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At PC Pitstop, we get a lot of email from people having trouble with their computers.
At least a couple of times a day, people unwittingly send us email that is infected
with a virus or worm.
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These can be nasty, nasty infections, and can cost you hours or days while you stop
your work to disinfect your computer. In some cases, they can also wipe out your
data. It's also incredibly embarrassing to have to call all your friends to explain
why your computer sent them an infected email.
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We can't stress strongly enough how important it is for you to do five things for
every computer you own:
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Secure your e-mail client against running unwanted scripts. If you use Outlook or
Outlook Express and have not secured them, the main PC Pitstop tests will detect
the situation and recommend that you apply the appropriate AutoFix.
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Scan your computers at least weekly to make sure they aren't harboring viruses or
worms. PC Pitstop's virus scanner, which uses a small "in-the-wild" virus list,
will do a quick job of this. If you want a thorough virus scan or virus repairs
we suggest CA Anti-Virus for complete safety. Also try CA Internet Security Suite
for the complete protection.
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Keep your AntiVirus software up-to-date. AntiVirus software vendors update their
virus lists on a regular basis. Make sure you visit your vendor's Web site at least
once a week to download the update. Most virus software offers an auto-update feature
which will grab the updates for you; make sure this feature is enabled (if available)
in your software.
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Avoid running attachments (especially .EXE files) that come in your e-mail, even
if they come from your friends, relatives or colleagues. The warped minds now writing
e-mail viruses will do their best to lure you into running their viruses and worms
by making them look like love letters, jokes or pornography. Once you or one of
your friends succumbs to this temptation, the script will mail itself to everyone
on that computer's address list.
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Make frequent backups of your data files, and keep some of your backups out of your
computer. We like to burn CD-R backup discs on a regular schedule; CD-RW and Zip
discs also work well.
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If your computer does succumb to a virus infection, you can find help at any anti-virus
vendor. In many cases, the vendor will have free cleanup programs that you can download.
Clean your computer as quickly as possible and break the chain! Keep the phone number
of your anti-virus software support desk where you can find it when needed.
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