Computer Viruses; Questions and Answers

By Michael M. Landry

What is a virus?

A computer virus is simply a malicious little program written to hinder your computer’s ability to function correctly. They also tend to spread themselves to as many computers as possible through unwitting and unprotected users.

What does a virus do?

There are many types of viruses out there today that use different methods to wreak all kinds of havoc on unsuspecting computer users. They can destroy system files (files needed by your operating system, such as Windows) that can make your computer unstable or unbootable (unable to start up). They can allow someone to remotely take control of your computer and use it to attack other computers. They can cause your computer to flood a Web site with requests until the site slows down or goes down. This is known as a DOS (Denial Of Service) attack. There’s another type of virus that’s not a virus at all. It’s known as a “hoax”. A hoax is usually an e-mail stating that you may have a virus, if a certain file exists on your computer and that you should delete it. The file in question is usually a system file and if you do actually delete it, chances are you won’t be able to successfully boot your machine until you re-install your operating system. Viruses can cause you to lose valuable data, time and in many cases, money to repair the damage.

How are viruses spread?

Viruses are spread in many different ways. They can come as an e-mail file attachment, or an embedded URL (link to a web address) in an e-mail. In many cases, you don’t even have to click on the link to get infected. Your e-mail program (usually MS Outlook) will go to the link automatically because the virus takes advantage of a few security flaws found in versions of Outlook that haven’t been updated.

They can come from Web sites, especially sites that allow people to download commercial software for free. You can also pick up a virus from a floppy disk or CDR that came from an infected system. If you don’t set up a little security in your web browser, you can get a virus from a website through the use of Java, Active Scripting or the Installation of Desktop Items feature. (See the article entitled Internet Security)

Can I get a virus from a friend, family member or business associate?

Absolutely! Most viruses come from known acquaintances. Here’s how it works; A person you know can get infected by a virus and it will send itself to everyone in their address book. In many cases, the person won’t even know anything was sent from their machine until one of the recipients tells them about it. If you receive a virus, and you’re not protected, you’ll also send the virus to everyone in your address book and be none the wiser.

How can I protect my computer from viruses?

Protecting yourself from viruses is not that difficult. There are many good anti-virus programs you can purchase or download over the Internet. The prices can range from free to about $50.00. Here are a few links to get you going:

http://www.my-etrust.com/products/Antivirus.cfm (my personal favorite for home users)

http://www.avast.com/i_kat_6.html (This one is free for home users)

http://www.datafellows.fi/download-purchase/

http://www.symantec.com/downloads/

http://download.mcafee.com/us/

Is it possible to get a virus if I use anti-virus software?

Yes. Just installing anti-virus software will NOT protect you from many new viruses as they make their way through the Internet to your computer. You have to download “virus definitions” from the software manufacturers’ Web sites “REGULARLY” to keep your software up to date. Most anti-virus programs allow you to set them up to automatically download these updates in the background when you go on-line. If you do not keep your software updated, you’ll stand a good chance of becoming infected eventually.

It is also possible that a new virus will come out that can infect you if the software manufacturer hasn’t written a virus definition to deal with it yet. Good operating policies can usually be helpful in preventing this.

Are there any other precautions I can take to protect myself from viruses?

Definitely! You can start with good operating policies like:

·        Making sure your anti-virus software definitions are frequently updated.

·        Never opening a file attachment until you verify that the purported sender actually sent it.

·        Downloading and installing all the Windows updates and Critical Security Patches for your particular version of Windows. (Start at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/)

·        Downloading and installing all the patches for Microsoft Internet Explorer and Outlook, when available.

·        Using a personal firewall. (Read more about firewalls here.)

What if I already have a virus on my computer?

If you already have a virus, here are a couple of sites where you can download tools to remove them:

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/tools.list.html

http://www3.ca.com/Solutions/Collateral.asp?CID=40387

Some viruses can make it difficult to do anything with your computer, including getting on-line or attempting to download virus fixes. It’s always better to get anti-virus software before a virus gets you! It’s cheaper, faster and easier that way.