CS8

Protect Your Computer from Viruses

We were going to tell you about our favorite free software this week, but that'll have to wait until next time. We feel you sorely need a lecture on virus protection.

If you are on the internet without up-to-date virus protection, you are playing Russian Roulette with 6 bullets in a six shooter. It's that serious. There are more than 67,000 viruses out there just waiting to get you, and new ones are being written every day.

So just bite one of those bullets and buy a good antivirus software. If you really don't have any money, at least use a free one. Our favorite used to be Norton System Works or Norton Antivirus. It was trustworthy. However, we started having so much trouble with it that we switched to Grisoft's AVG antivirus. If Norton ever got in a snafu, it was very hard to get it straightened out. Grisoft so far has been trouble-free, but don't run it at the same time as Norton. Grisoft AVG is free for home use.

In order to be protected from viruses, you have to have a good antivirus product, with up-to-date virus definitions, and it has to be configured correctly.

So you may say, well I have an antivirus program installed. It came with my computer, so I'm ok, right? Wrong! When was the last time you checked the date on your antivirus definitions. If they're more than a week old, you're not even close to being protected. If you've never updated it at all, you're on a highwire but the net under you is a mirage. In other words, you have a false sense of security.

So you say, well I configured my antivirus program to update itself automatically. Good. But are you sure it's doing it? A little glitch in the software and it quits updating, you think you're safe and guess what? You didn't notice that your virus definitions are two months old, then BAM! You're infected.

Or maybe you didn't notice that little box at the bottom of you computer that says your antivirus is not on duty for whatever reason it can't run.

Your software should be configured to scan every email that comes in, scan every email that goes out, run in the background to catch any file that sneaks in via the web browser, and be set to do a complete scan on your computer at least once a week. In the configuration, you need to set it to scan all files, including zipped files. If you can't configure it to do all this automatically, then you need to do it manually, just like clockwork.

So you say, well my Internet Service Provider offers free antivirus protection. Good, but you still need your own antivirus protection installed on your computer. Things sneak through. Maybe your ISP's software quit updating for a day, or maybe in all those emails blazing through one is not caught. You can get one of the new viruses in the few hours it takes software writers to write a definition for it. Or maybe someone gives you something on a floppy disk or CD. It's even happened that off-the-shelf software on CDs has been infected. Get your own virus protection and be safer.

So you say, well I'm ok. I've got two antivirus programs running on my computer. Bad idea. They often get in the way of each other, slow down your computer, and cause confusion in your operating system. Choose good software, but don't run two at the same time.

If you download software from the internet, scan it for viruses before installing it. Viruses can be concealed inside zipped or compressed files. Two really good places to pick up viruses are from porn sites and sites that offer pirated software or "cracks" to let you use software without getting a registration code. If you go to those places, don't say you weren't warned.

Regard your antivirus protection as a protection against terrorism. Think of it. A hostile person who is clever with programming can let loose a virus that will play havoc with US business and home users, disrupt communication, banking, stock trading, and cost US citizens millions of dollars. Maybe this terrorist is overseas, in a computer café, or in front his own computer here in the US. All he needs is an internet connection and some email addresses.

Be wise, beware, prepare, and be safe.