VIRUS INFORMATION
(With acknowledgement and thanks to Network Associates
Dr Solomons/Mcfee Anti-Virus Software
WHY THIS PAGE?
Internet friends have innocently sent me virus's over the years. Fortunately, due to diligence this end, and using anti-virus software, I have avoided suffering the impact of any of these viruses. Recently I received yet another virus contained in an EMAIL ATTACHMENT. This was a serious virus, number 3 in the current top 10 of viruses. Prompted by this occurance, I thought it would he helpful to post some notes and useful links on this subject.
The impact of a virus on your computer CAN BE DEVASTATING. I really urge you to protect yourselves, and your friends. To protect your friends, please do not forward emails with attachments that contain .EXE files (and other formats) , unless you are absolutely sure that that .EXE (and other formats) file is virus free. Typically what happens is someone sends a friend an attachment which might do some entertaining/amusing screen graphics/animation, whilst, undetected and unseen, cause devastating damage to your computer. The receiving friend forwards the same attachment to another friend. Often, the attachment is sent to dozens of friends (mini mailing list). Suddenly, a virus is distributed to hundreds of people. So your kindness to your friends, could be devastating for them....
I do not profess to be the expert here are a few words from an expert - Network Associates who produce Dr Solomon and Mcfee Anti-Virus software.
WHAT IS A VIRUS?
(Network Associates)
A computer virus is a program that replicates itself, attaches to other programs, and performs unsolicited or unwanted, if not malicious, actions when it executes. The two fundamental virus categories are “boot” and “file” viruses.
Boot viruses dwell in the boot sector of the hard or floppy disk that carries them. These execute as your computer starts. Once they copy themselves into your computer’s memory, they can then spread to other disks or other computers on a network, each time leaving copies of themselves that can repeat the cycle.
File viruses become active only when you execute the program that carries them. Typically, such viruses infect files with the extensions .EXE, .COM, or .DLL, and non-executable files such as Microsoft Word or Excel data and template files. Once executed, the file virus also loads itself into your computer’s memory, then replicates and attaches itself to other executable programs.
WHY SCAN FOR VIRUSES?
(Network Associates)
Not so long ago, individual computer users could avoid virus infections without much thought or planning, simply because they rarely came in contact with likely virus sources. Today, however, most computer users send messages to each other, share data and transfer files constantly—whether through a modem, via diskettes, or over networks and the Internet. In this same span of time, viruses have come to number in the thousands and spread more quickly and easily than ever.
In this environment, taking steps to protect yourself from a computer virus infection is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Consider the value of the data on your computer. It would probably require a significant investment of time and money to replace if it became corrupted or unusable because of a viral infection—it may even be irreplaceable. But whether your own data is important to you or not, neglecting to guard against viruses may mean that your computer could play unwitting host to a virus that can spread and attack the data on computers your co-workers and colleagues use.
Scheduling periodic virus scans with VirusScan for Windows 95 and Windows 98 and other Network Associates virus-scanning solutions significantly reduces your vulnerability to infection and prevents unnecessary loss of time, money and data.
(Thank you Network Associates)
I provide below some links to some authoratative pages about virus's. For my part I would like to offer three simple pieces of advice
Just because a "friend" sends you an attachment does NOT mean it is safe. In fact a lot of virus's get propogated by one friend sending attachments to another who then forwards it on to others etc - thus infecting lots of friends computers.
I auto-virus check my computers, I do not open attachments routinely, I virus check them before opening, and that includes attachments from friends.. So be aware..... there are a lot of virus's out there on the Internet......
I suggest you visit the three links below for more info.
Mcfee download page for viruscan
Mcfee virus glossary
