Tips and Information about Viruses

Ultimate responsibility for resolution of problems related to the invasions of the user's privacy or loss of data rests with the user. The MFN assumes no liability for loss or damage to the user's data or for any damage or injury arising from invasion of the user's privacy

Computer Infection Terms to Know

• Viruses - A virus is a small piece of software that piggy-backs on real programs. For example, a virus might attach itself to a program like a spreadsheet program. Each time the spreadsheet program runs, the virus runs too, and it has the chance to reproduce (by attaching to other programs) or wreak havoc.
• Email viruses - An email virus moves around in email messages, and usually replicates itself by automatically mailing itself to dozens of people in the victim's email address book.
• Worms - A worm is a small piece of software that uses computer networks and security holes to replicate itself. A copy of the worm scans the network for another machine that has a specific security hole. It copies itself to the new machine using the security hole, and then starts replicating from there as well.
• Trojan Horses - A trojan horse is simply a normal computer program. The program claims to do one thing (e.g. - it claims to be a game) but instead does damage when you run it (e.g. - it erases your hard disk). Trojan horses have no way to replicate automatically.

E-mail Viruses

The latest thing is the e-mail virus. Opening an infected message or attachment infects a computer. The virus will then send the virus out via e-mail to anyone in its address book. If the recipient opens it then the cycle begins again. Several viruses, called Melissa; Klez; HAHA, takes advantage of a weakness in the Microsoft Word program.

An Ounce of Prevention

You can protect yourself against viruses with a few simple steps:

• Buying virus protection software is a nice safeguard.
• If you simply avoid programs from unknown sources like the Internet, and instead stick with commercial software purchased on CDs, you eliminate almost all of the risk from traditional viruses. In addition, you should disable floppy disk booting -- most computers now allow you to do this, and that will eliminate the risk of a boot sector virus coming in from a floppy disk accidentally left in the drive.
• You should make sure that Macro Virus Protection is enabled in all Microsoft applications, and you should NEVER run macros in a document unless you know what they do. No normal person adds macros to a document, so avoiding all macros is a great policy.

Open the Options dialog from the Tools menu in Microsoft Word and make sure that Macro Virus Protection is enabled, as shown.

Configure Outlook Express

• Open Outlook Express. Click the Tools menu, point to Message Rules and click on Mail.
• In the Message Rules dialog box, click on the New button.
• In the New Mail Rule dialog box, find the Where the Subject line contains specific words entry in the Select the Conditions for your rule section. Put a checkmark in its checkbox.
• In the Select the Actions for your rule section, find the Move it to the specified folder entry and put a checkmark in its checkbox.
• In the Rule Description section, click on the blue/underlined contains specific words entry.
• In the Type Specific Words dialog box, type in a keyword or phrase. Then click the Add button. Continue to add keywords and phrases until you're done. Then click OK. Good candidates for keywords are Viagra, FREE! and credit. You'll be able to come up with your own list from your existing spam. Click on the blue/underlined specified entry. In the Move dialog box, click on the Bulk Mail folder and then click OK.
• In the Name of the Rule section, replace the current name with the name Spam Filter Rule. Click OK.
• Click OK in the Message Rules dialog box.

In the case of some e-mail viruses, the only defense is a personal discipline. You should never double-click on an attachment that contains an executable that arrives as an e-mail attachment. Attachments that come in as Word files (.DOC), spreadsheets (.XLS), images (.GIF and .JPG), etc. are data files and they can do no damage (noting the macro virus problem above in Word and Excel documents). A file with an extension like EXE, COM or VBS is an executable, and an executable can do any sort of damage it wants. Once you run it, you have given it permission to do anything on your machine. The only defense is to never run executables that arrive via e-mail.

Virus Protection Software

Here are several links to software that can help protect against virus attacks. While having virus software is important to protecting your computer against the damages of virus attacks, updating that software is just as vital. New viruses are developed constantly so if your software is out of date it may not be able to protect you!

http://www.grisoft.com/html/us_index.htm

http://www.softwaremart.biz

http://www.pandasecurity.com

http://www.nextag.com

Firewalls

Basically, a firewall is a barrier to keep destructive forces away from your property. In fact, that's why its called a firewall. Its job is similar to a physical firewall that keeps a fire from spreading from one area to the next.

A firewall is simply a program or hardware device that filters the information coming through the Internet connection into your private network or computer system

A software firewall, such as ZoneAlarm, http://www.zonealarm.com can be installed on the computer in your home that has an Internet connection. This computer is considered a gateway because it provides the only point of access between your home network and the Internet.

Spam - Typically harmless but always annoying, spam is the electronic equivalent of junk mail. Spam can be dangerous though. Quite often it contains links to Web sites. Be careful of clicking on these because you may accidentally accept a cookie that provides a backdoor to your computer.

Cookies are the "crumb trail" that our computers drop while surfing the Internet. There are companies that "vacuum" these up and use them to send unsolicited e-mails out to you. To limit the number of cookies you leave behind change the settings in your Internet browser by going to Tools/Internet Options/Privacy (this may be Security in older versions) Click on the Advanced button. In this menu check the "Override automatic cookie handling" Check Block under the third party cookies. Then click OK. Then click OK.

This is one tool to minimize the amount of SPAM you receive. There are a few other tips to reduce it:

· When filling out registrations and other online information make sure that you uncheck any boxes referring to receiving information or future offers.

· If you receive emails with links to pages on the web contained inside–realize that by viewing these pages you are giving the site your e-mail address and may receive future emails from them as well

· If you receive unwanted e-mail scroll down through the message until you find the link or directions to Unsubscribe. Follow those directions or click on the link and follow it’s directions.

· Don’t believe everything your read!! Many of the forwarded messages you read are a hoax! Be selective in what you choose to forward on to others. Check here to find out if the e-mail you received is a scam http://www.scambusters.org/legends.html