How to protect your computer from viruses
Don’t open email attachments from people you don’t
know.
Although this will help, be aware that some viruses which use address
books to spread themselves, will appear to come from friends and colleagues,
and
therefore give the impression they are safe.
Get some anti-virus software!
There are many programs (called virus protection software, anti-virus software,
or virus checks) that will check your system for known viruses, scan incoming
files and emails, and warn you before any infected files are let in.
If you do not already have any virus protection software, you should install some and set it immediately scan your hard drive. If it finds a virus, it will usually offer you the option to delete it and repair files if it can. Once you have ensured your computer is “clean”, make a backup of your data, so you can restore it should you have a problem in the future.
We recommend eTrust
EZ Antivirus from Computer Associates This
software is much cheaper than other well-known software, but offers
the same level of protection, in an easy-to-use program.
Update your anti-virus software regularly.
Buying and installing the software is not enough. New viruses are released
every day and it is important to regularly update your software so that its
database includes information concerning the new viruses. This can usually
be done by selecting an update option in your software which then downloads
the update from the vendor’s website. You can usually set up the software
to remind you to update
Update/patch your version of Windows and Outlook/Outlook Express.
Viruses take advantage of security holes in these programs, so making sure
you have the latest version will help. Visit www.windowsupdate.com which
is a service set up by Microsoft to scan Windows computers for security loopholes,
to update your versions of Outlook, Explorer and Outlook Express.