Anti-Virus Tips

Anti-Virus Tip Sheet

What Are Viruses?

Viruses are computer programs or scripts that have the ability to replicate. They contain code that can make your computer execute commands.

Viruses spread by attaching themselves to files or messages. You are most likely to get a virus by email or by visiting a web site. Some viruses destroy files. A few viruses destroy

hardware. Some allow access to your machine so that someone else can control it.

Since you don’t know what any given virus will do, you should avoid them all. This Tip Sheet is intended to give you a few simple rules that will protect you from most viruses.

What Should You Do When You Get a Virus?

The most important thing is Don’t Panic. Your virus software may pop up a warning that it found a virus.

Read the message! In most cases, it will say that:
     The virus has been Cleaned,
     The file has been Deleted, or
     The infected files has been Quarantined.

If the virus has been cleaned or deleted, you don’t need to do anything. If it is quarantined, you may wish to view the quarantined file and delete it. Or you can just leave it in the quarantine area where it will do no harm.

If you open an infected file and something goes wrong with your computer, shut it down and call ComTech Computer Services, Inc. at (254) 770-1210. Do not go open the same file on someone else’s machine.

Virus Safety Tips

• Have and use a virus scanning program.

• Keep your virus scanner up to date.

• Remember: You are most likely to get a virus by email from someone you know! Don’t

trust an email that appears to be from a friend.

• Do not open email from people you don’t know. Delete the email.

• Never open an email that’s not addressed to you (Spam is a great example). Delete the

email.

• Do not open attachments — even from people you know — unless you asked that person

to send you that file. Delete the email.

• Warnings about viruses will never show up in email! They won’t come from Microsoft , Network

Associates, Symantec, etc.

• If you see email instructions from anyone telling you to delete files, it’s a hoax.

• Emails that have scary messages and include instructions to pass the email along to everyone

you know are hoaxes.