It’s a fact: unless you have anti-virus software, you could be one email away from corrupting your entire hard drive... or from assisting to propagate a debilitating attack on select computers around the world. It’s called “malware,” short for MALicious softWARE… designed specifically to damage or disrupt computer systems. While you can’t completely avoid attacks, you can take some simple steps to help safeguard your system:
TIP #1: PROTECT YOURSELF BEHIND A FIREWALL
Did you know that hackers all around the world are attempting to break into your computer when you’re online? They’re looking for open “ports” – electronic doorways to your computer. Once they’re inside, there’s a whole host of nasty things they can do to make your life miserable. A firewall protects your system from break-ins, and is available as either easily installed software, or simple-to-connect hardware. Never go online without it.
TIP #2: ALWAYS USE ANTI-VIRUS (AV) SOFTWARE
Computer viruses are software programs designed to wreak havoc on the systems they infect. Anti-virus software, such as Norton AntiVirus™ and McAfeeŽ VirusScan™ are two widely used programs that identify, block, and expel invaders from your system before they inflict often irreversible damage. Your AV software should be running every time your computer is turned on.
TIP #3: PERFORM A FULL-SYSTEM SCAN WEEKLY
Take a few minutes every week and let your AV software check your entire hard drive for possible infection. Remember that not all viruses begin their dirty work the day your system becomes infected. Some are programmed to begin “spawning” on specific days, often tied to holidays, such as Halloween and Valentine’s Day. Others may wait many months so that a coordinated attack can be launched in unison from armies of infected computers worldwide.
TIP #4: NEVER (EVER!) OPEN SUSPICIOUS EMAIL ATTACHMENTS
Delete the entire email immediately and empty your recycle bin to delete it permanently. This is how the most recent MyDoom virus has propagated itself by the millions worldwide. Seemingly innocent-looking attachments are often disguised as innocuous documents and are often falsely addressed, impersonating “known” senders, such as your friends and associates! In reality, they’re electronic bio-hazards capable of replicating themselves 1,000 times a minute, infecting millions of email users in just days by “hijacking” computers and sending themselves to every email address stored anywhere in your computer! Another recent virus called “Dumaru,” is spread through email with the subject line “Important information for you,” and includes a zip-file attachment named, “MYPHOTO.ZIP.” Clicking on these infected emails is like opening Pandora’s box – with your unsuspecting friends, family, and business associates becoming its next victims.
TIP #5: DOWNLOAD “CRITICAL UPDATES” FREQUENTLY
If you’re using Microsoft Windows, set your system to automatically download Microsoft’s “Critical Updates” when they’re available. (Refer to your Help function or Microsoft’s website for more details.) Doing so assures you’ll have late-breaking security patches in addition to other improvements to Microsoft software you’re currently running. Likewise, Mac users should refer to Apple’s website.
