Definitions
A Trojan horse (a.k.a Trojan) is a program that appears to do something amusing or useful and actually does something else. It may destroy data or compromise your systems security. However, a Trojan horse does not replicate itself or transmit itself to other computers.

A virus is a program that carries out a specific function and infects other programs in the process. In many cases the whole function of the virus is to replicate itself, nothing more. Other viruses rewrite data files making them useless.

A worm is a virus that does not infect other programs. It still replicates itself to other computers, but will always arrive in the same program.

Hoaxes
There are many messages floating around telling you that if you receive an e-mail message with the subject _____ delete it right away, and do not open it as doing so will wipe out your hard drive. These messages might claim to have been verified by IBM, Microsoft, CBS News, or whomever. These messages always encourage you to pass along the warning as well. Please delete such messages and refrain from spreading these hoaxes. Below is a list of the common hoaxes being passed around today. You can recognize a hoax if the message makes reference to one of these names:

- Budwiser Screen Saver
- JDBGMGR.EXE
- Frog Blender
- SULFNBK.EXE
- Good Times
- It Takes Guts to Say Jesus
- Lump of Coal
- Elf bowling, Frogapult, Y2KGame
- Wobbler/California

Computer Viruses

Any unprotected computer system can fall victim to viruses, which can cause serious damage in a short time. The results of a virus can range from merely annoying to disastrous, and the loss of software and data can be time-consuming and expensive. With corporations increasingly using computers for enterprise-wide, business-critical computing, the costs of virus-induced downtime are growing along with the threat of viruses.

What is a computer virus?
It is a program designed to replicate and spread while the user is oblivious to its existence. Computer viruses spread by attaching themselves to other programs (e.g., word processor files) or to a disk's boot sector. When an infected file is executed, or when the computer is started from an infected disk, the virus is also executed. A virus often lurks in computer memory waiting to infect the next activated program or the next accessed disk. Viruses can rename system files so they cannot be accessed and make systems unbootable.

How does a virus infect your system?
Viruses can spread by almost any means two computers share information. The old-fashioned way, through an infected disk, is the most common. Most often, diskettes brought to the office from home are responsible for introducing a virus into a corporate network-computing environment. Most at-risk servers on a network have software that detects incoming viruses, but infections do occur in networked environments, making the rapid spread of a virus a serious risk. With networking, enterprise computing, and inter-organizational communications on the increase, infection during telecommunications and networking is on the rise. You can acquire viruses while downloading software from the Internet or from an electronic bulletin board service. Viruses can also replicate themselves via e-mail attachments.

How do you know if your system is infected with a virus?
The most common viruses are without any symptoms, so anti-virus software is necessary to identify infections. However, many viruses are flawed and provide tip-offs to their infection. Below is a list of indicators that your computer may be infected. These symptoms can be the result of a problem other than a virus.

Changes in the length of programs.
Changes in the file date or time stamp.
Longer program load times.
Slower system operation.
Reduced memory or disk space.
Bad sectors on your floppy.
Unusual error messages.
Unusual screen activity.
Failed program execution.
Failed system boot-up when booting or accidentally booting from the A: drive.
Unexpected writes to a drive.

Virus protection software, such as VirusScan, is your first line of defense against viruses. Make sure the data the software uses to locate viruses is updated regularly. Viruses proliferate and spread only as long as they exist undetected. The opportunities for infection are increasing with the Internet's growth, and there will be more damaging viruses. Windows-specific viruses have already appeared.

In response to the explosion of virus types and transmission opportunities, virus protection must expand to meet these challenges, too. Knowing where a virus can come from, how it spreads, and the symptoms can help you contain the effects of a virus within an organization.

With such a large variety of new viruses, you'll want to keep up-to-date on the latest bug buzzwords. Here are some of the major virus categories and a few other terms you'll need to know.

• Executable file virus. This virus attaches itself to an executable file, such as an .EXE or .COM file, and runs whenever the executable file is run. Our example above fits this description; it infected a .COM file.
• Boot sector virus. This virus infects the boot sector of a disk, where it is executed whenever the disk is used to boot from. If you boot from an infected floppy, the virus infects the hard drive's boot sector. Every floppy that you put into your infected machine will also pick up the virus. Boot sector viruses are particularly dangerous, since they run every time the computer is turned on.
• Trojan horse. This virus masquerades as something desirable when its real aim is destruction. That cool game your brother-in-law gave you on a floppy might actually be a Trojan Horse virus. When you play the game you are also infecting all your boot sectors. It's just another reason to avoid your brother-in-law.
• Polymorphic virus. This virus changes on the fly—making it difficult to detect. A polymorphic virus has a unique sequence of bytes in its code, known as its "signature."
• Stealth virus. Stealth viruses escape normal antivirus detection efforts because they contain a unique code. The stealth is a type of polymorphic virus. For example, a boot sector virus may copy the original boot sector to somewhere else on the hard disk, then wait for attempts by other programs to look at the actual boot sector. If the virus detects such an attempt by, say, an antivirus program, it intercepts the attempt and redirects the antivirus program to the original boot sector sitting out on the hard disk. The antivirus program then reports that all is well with the boot sector, and the virus goes undetected.
• Trigger event. Some viruses do their dirty work immediately upon execution. More commonly, though, the virus lies in wait, biding its time until some event chosen by its author causes it to "wake up" and deliver its "payload." It may be a date, or a time. It may be a certain number of boot ups, or a certain number of times a command is executed.
• Payload. Just like in missiles, the virus payload is whatever damage the virus ultimately delivers. It may be fairly innocuous, like a message appearing on your screen. It may be annoying, like letters falling to the bottom of the screen. Or, it may be horribly destructive, like deleting every file it can find on both your computer and the network.

Computer viruses cross picture barrier

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new computer virus is the first ever to infect picture files, an anti-virus firm reported Thursday, making sharing family photos on the Internet a potentially dangerous activity.

The virus, dubbed Perrun, is not currently infecting computers but worries anti-virus experts because it is the first to cross from program infection into data files, long considered safe from malicious data.

"Our concern is more for what might be coming," said Vincent Gullotto, head anti-virus researcher at McAfee Security. "Potentially, no file type could be safe."

Until now, viruses infected program files — files that can be run on their own. Data files, like movies, music, text and pictures, were safe from infection. While earlier viruses deleted or modified data files, Perrun is the first to infect them.

Perrun still needs some tweaking to become dangerous. The virus arrives via e-mail or a floppy disk as an executable file. Security experts always warn against opening programs sent as e-mail attachments.

Once run, the file drops an "extractor" component onto the victim's hard drive. When a computer user clicks on a picture file with the extension .JPG — a common picture file found on the Web — it is infected before it appears. Because the picture displays normally, Gullotto said, the victim may not know there's anything wrong.

In its current form, an infected JPG file sent to a friend or placed on a Web site isn't dangerous without the extractor file. But Gullotto said there's no reason a virus writer couldn't stuff the entire virus code into the JPG, making the picture file a virus itself.

That evolution should make computer users think twice about sending pictures — or any other media — over the Internet, Gullotto said.

"I think there's a possibility that this could change the playing field," he said. "Going forward, we may have to rethink about distributing JPGs."

McAfee researchers received the virus from its creator. Gullotto declined to identify the author, and McAfee anti-virus software can detect and remove Perrun.

Perrun is known as a proof-of-concept virus, and does not cause damage. Gullotto said he fears that virus writers may use Perrun as a template to create a more destructive version.

 

How Computer Viruses Work 

by Marshall Brain

 

Inside This Article

1. 

Introduction to How Computer Viruses Work

2. 

How Worms Work: Code Red

3. 

Virus Origins and History

4. 

Virus Evolution

5. 

How to Protect Your Computer from Viruses

6. 

Lots More Information

7. 

See all Internet articles

Computer viruses tend to grab our attention. On the one hand, viruses show us how vulnerable we are. A properly engineered virus can have an amazing effect on the worldwide Internet. On the other hand, they show how sophisticated and interconnected human beings have become.

For example, experts estimate that the Mydoom worm infected approximately a quarter-million computers in a single day in January 2004. Back in March 1999, the Melissa virus was so powerful that it forced Microsoft and a number of other very large companies to completely turn off their e-mail systems until the virus could be contained. The ILOVEYOU virus in 2000 had a similarly devastating effect. That's pretty impressive when you consider that the Melissa and ILOVEYOU viruses are incredibly simple.

In this article, we will discuss viruses -- both "traditional" viruses and the newer e-mail viruses -- so that you can learn how they work and also understand how to protect yourself. Viruses in general are on the wane, but occasionally a person finds a new way to create one, and that's when they make the news.

Computer viruses are called viruses because they share some of the traits of biological viruses. A computer virus passes from computer to computer like a biological virus passes from person to person.

There are similarities at a deeper level, as well. A biological virus is not a living thing. A virus is a fragment of DNA inside a protective jacket. Unlike a cell, a virus has no way to do anything or to reproduce by itself -- it is not alive. Instead, a biological virus must inject its DNA into a cell. The viral DNA then uses the cell's existing machinery to reproduce itself. In some cases, the cell fills with new viral particles until it bursts, releasing the virus. In other cases, the new virus particles bud off the cell one at a time, and the cell remains alive.

A computer virus shares some of these traits. A computer virus must piggyback on top of some other program or document in order to get executed. Once it is running, it is then able to infect other programs or documents. Obviously, the analogy between computer and biological viruses stretches things a bit, but there are enough similarities that the name sticks.

When you listen to the news, you hear about many different forms of electronic infection. The most common are:

• Viruses - A virus is a small piece of software that piggybacks on real programs. For example, a virus might attach itself to a program such as 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.

• E-mail viruses - An e-mail virus moves around in e-mail messages, and usually replicates itself by automatically mailing itself to dozens of people in the victim's e-mail address book.

• Trojan horses - A Trojan horse is simply a computer program. The program claims to do one thing (it may claim to be a game) but instead does damage when you run it (it may erase your hard disk). Trojan horses have no way to replicate automatically.

• 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. We'll take a closer look at how a worm works in the next section.

Question
---Thank you for your suggestion about the fdisk method and I understand that the Fdisk is for hard drive partitions and I don't know how it is related fixing virus problems.  I went to the CMOS and as able to see the C: drive and floppy drive but why is it that I cannot format the C: drive with the Startup disk. I did it many times with other computers and they worked out successfully. I do have the latest version of the Norton System works. But how do I install it to make it work when the computer is not in good condition to install anything. Thanks again for you attention.----------------------
 Followup To
Question -
 I have a computer that has been infected with virus. A month ago, it was very slow when connecting to the internet and as time goes by. It does not connect anymore and what is worse is it does not work at all. I cannot  access the c drive and floppy drive. I tried to format the the C: drive by using the win98 start up foppy  disc and it does not work. Could it be that the cmos is infected. How do I use the antivirus to get rid of the virus.
Answer -
Hi Jasper,

Sounds like you let the virus go too far. Follow the directions given at the following site to FDIDK the hard drive:

 

McAfee-Question : Is Windows a virus ?

No, Windows is not a virus. Here's what viruses do:

1. They replicate quickly - okay, Windows does that.
2. Viruses use up valuable system resources, slowing down the system as they do so - okay, Windows does that.
3. Viruses will, from time to time, trash your hard disk - okay, Windows does that too.
4. Viruses are usually carried, unknown to the user, along with valuable programs and systems. Sigh... Windows does that, too.
5. Viruses will occasionally make the user suspect their system is too slow (see 2) and the user will buy new hardware. Yup, that's with Windows, too.
   Until now it seems Windows is a virus but there are fundamental differences:Viruses are well supported by their authors, are running on most systems, their program code is fast, compact and efficient and they tend to become more sophisticated as they mature.

   So Windows is not a virus.

   It's a bug.

Internet Tools

Protecting Your Computer Against Viruses

The popularity of the Internet has led to the recent widespread outbreaks of computer viruses. Viruses have become so widespread that they are now mentioned in newspapers and network news programs. It is extremely important for anyone who uses a computer to be aware of viruses, especially when accessing the Internet. Viruses can be carried in anything from a floppy disk to an email message. About a million computers worldwide are infected with a virus every day. If your computer becomes infected with a virus, you could loose all of the data on your hard drive.

• What is a Virus?
• Protecting Your Computer from Viruses
• Virus Protection Software

What is a Virus?

Computer viruses are self-replicating programs which cannot exist without a host. These programs have existed since the 1960's, but did not get the name of "virus" until 1984. These programs can be relatively harmless, or can completely incapacitate your computer. The damage done to your computer is called the payload, and can range from a harmless message or image being displayed to destroying files and reformatting the hard drive of your computer.  

With the popularity of the Internet, viruses have become more widespread and common. Originally, the viruses were passed by floppy disks, but now they are often passed through Internet downloads and especially email attachments. Over 50,000 viruses have been identified, and around 200 more are created each month.

There are other types of programs associated with viruses and sometimes seen to be subsets of viruses. These are worms and Trojans. Many recent viruses have incorporated viruses, worms, and Trojans into one virus. 

Worms are also self-replicating, but they do not have the payload that viruses have. Worms use the internet or a network to send copies of itself to other computers, often using email programs. They are often incorporated into viruses, and are to blame for the spreading of most of the recent viruses, such as Loveletter and SirCam. 

Trojans on the other hand do not replicate themselves. Like the Trojan horse of legend, Trojans seem harmless but transport harmful information to other computers. Trojans can allow a hacker complete access to your computer so they can corrupt files, steal passwords, and modify the system registry. Often, Trojans are used to attack websites by having thousands of computers under their control trying to access one site at the same time. 

Additional information about viruses and/or virus hoaxes is available from the LTS Help Desk Virus Information site and on the Internet at, Computer Virus Myths.

Protecting Your Computer from Viruses

With the prevalence of viruses today, it is important for any computer accessing the Internet to have protection against viruses. In addition to safe operating procedures, there are many different programs which can help you to protect your computer. Viruses can come from many different sources, so you must be aware to protect yourself from getting a virus from any source. Remember that virus scanners can only catch the known viruses, so do not rely solely on virus protection software. Viruses may take months before they are discovered and solutions are found.

Some hints for preventing virus infections:

Don'ts

• Never use disks from an untrustworthy source
• Never download files from a site or person that you don't trust
• Never open an email that looks unusual or suspicious
• Never open an email attachment from a person you don't know
• Never open an email attachment that looks unusual or suspicious
  To check email attachments against known infected attachments, see About.com's Infected Attachment Names

Do's

• Disable preview screens when using Eudora or Microsoft Outlook
• Scan disks and zip disks before using them
• Use a real-time virus scanner or frequently check your system with an online virus scanner
• When using a real-time virus scanner, download virus updates every week
• Backup important files often
• Use personal firewall software to prevent unauthorized Internet access to and from your computer
• Use of the RTF (Rich Text Format) file format preserves document content and formatting AND reduces the spread of viruses. The Word .doc format has been a popular target for those creating viruses. (Refer to Saving a Document in RTF Format.)

Virus Protection Software

There are many different programs which scan for and correct viruses which are on your computer. Many times you will not even know you have a virus until you scan for viruses. There are many options for scanning and curing viruses. There are free software, free online scans, downloadable trial versions of software, and software which you may purchase. The vast number of software companies offering virus protection makes it difficult to include all companies, but we have compiled a listing of the best rated virus protection solutions. The downloadable virus software scans for viruses in real-time, which means that as your computer receives files, the software checks the files for viruses. The software also constantly monitors the computer files to search for viruses. It is very important when using a real-time virus scanner to download updates frequently, so the software can detect all of the newly found viruses.

Sites offering free online virus scans:

• Symantec: Online Virus and Security Check
• McAfee: VirusScan Online (free trial)
• Trend Micro: HouseCall
• Command: Command On Demand

Some of the companies which offer free trial versions of their software are:

• Symantec: Norton AntiVirus
• McAfee: VirusScan
• Trend Micro: PC-cillin
• Panda: Antivirus Titanium
• Kapersky: Anti-Virus
• Command: AntiVirus with F-Prot Professional
• F-Secure: Anti-Virus

Some of the best rated virus protection software is:

• Symantec: Norton AntiVirus
• McAfee: VirusScan
• Trend Micro: PC-cillin
• Panda: Antivirus Titanium
• Computer Associates: Inoculate IT
• Kapersky: Anti-Virus
• Command: Anti-Virus
• F-Secure: Anti-Virus

Personal firewall software controls what programs are allowed to access the internet, and prevents people from hacking into your computer. This can prevent Trojans which are already on your computer from accessing the internet. There are companies which offer free and paid software for personal firewalls as well.

Some personal firewalls available are:

• Zone Labs: Zone Alarm (free) and Zone Alarm Pro (trial or paid)
• Symantec: Norton Personal Firewall (trial or paid) and Norton Internet Security (trial or paid)

ILS : SOLVE > EMAIL VIRUS PROTECTION

January 23, 2001 Due to the recent on-campus proliferation of Windows viruses spread by e-mail, ILS is installing an anti-virus detection program on the Bates E-mail server. This program will disinfect a virus in a mail message sent to a Bates e-mail address before sending the message to the recipient. WHAT THE NEW VIRUS PROTECTION PROGRAM WON'T DO: The detection of a virus relies upon the virus definition files in the detection program. Therefore brand new viruses still may get through this system before their signature gets put into the definition file. Mail messages already downloaded to a user's computer via netscape, outlook, eudora or other pop mail programs are not being scanned by ILS and may contain messages with attachments that have a virus and can damage your files or computer. To prevent these viruses from infecting your computer, you must have a virus detection program installed on your computer and have the virus detection signature files up to date. Mail messages saved in mail folders in elm or pine will not be scanned and may contain viruses. Email sent to you using accounts other than your abacus account will not be scanned and may be able to infect your computer. WARNING: Computer viruses can infect your computer from other sources. Internet downloads, shared files and infected floppy disks can also cause your computer to be harmed by a virus. A local virus detection protection program will protect your computer from these virus sources. Virus detection programs can be purchased at 110 Russell St, Bates Computer Sales and Service, or at any computer store. WHAT THE NEW VIRUS PROTECTION PROGRAM DOES: All incoming e-mail traffic will be scanned by this virus detection program. If a virus is found in an e-mail message, a security warning is added to the message and the attachment with the virus in it is "sanitized". The message is then sent to the recipient's incoming mailbox. If you get an e-mail message with this security warning , you will be able to read the text portion of the message but you will not able to open the attachment. WHAT ABOUT E-MAIL RECEIVED BEFORE JAN 23: In addition to adding this active virus protection, this virus protection program will scan incoming mailboxes on abacus containing messages already sent to each user and left in the incoming mailbox on abacus. Infected e-mail messages will be changed to include the security warning and the attachment will be sanitized. As noted above, messages already downloaded to a user's computer must be scanned by a virus protection program on the user's computer. TO RECOVER A LEGITIMATE SANITIZED FILE: A "sanitized" attachment is given a new filename that will not allow the attachment to be opened without deliberate steps being taken. This ensures that the person really wants to open the attachment, knowing either that the attachment is harmless or that it may harm the files or the computer they are using. To read a "sanitized" attachment, please call the Computing HelpDesk for instructions. As always, Have a virus detection program running on your computer. Have your virus definition files updated to the most recent version. Never open an attachment unless you know it is clean. Choose to save the file to your computer and scan it before opening   Virus Hoax or the Real Thing: How to Tell the Difference by Shari Kubitz You’ve probably seen the urgent alert in your mailbox warning you of a new virus transmitted by email that will erase your hard drive or crash your machine if you read it.  The warning usually appears to come from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Microsoft, or the technology department of a major university. It goes on to urge you to forward the message to all of your friends and colleagues.  You may panic, run your virus software, keep an eye out for suspicious emails, and then forward the message to everyone you know. In reality, this is one of the dozens of virus hoaxes that are maliciously created but are spread by well-intentioned people. They both cause needless panic and fill our mailboxes with junk mail. Because computer viruses can be very serious and can cause irreparable damage to your computer and/or data, it is important to be able to recognize the difference between real virus warnings and virus hoaxes and to protect your data and computer using virus software and the latest virus definitions. Signs of a Virus Hoax: 1 The message tells you that your hard drive will be erased or your computer destroyed if you open an email message. Only executable files can cause the type of damage described. Simply reading an email message can not spread a virus. Be aware, though, that an executable file disguised as an attachment could be a virus. Make sure your virus program scans downloaded files and attachments. When in doubt, check your attachment for viruses before opening it and do not execute a program that does not come from a reputable web site or manufacturer. 2 The message encourages you to pass it along to all of your friends and colleagues. 3 The warning includes very technical-sounding language. 4 The warning appears to come from the FCC. Monitoring computer viruses and warning users is not a job of the FCC. If you receive a virus warning, it is important to rule out the possibility that it is a hoax. Before forwarding the message to anyone, please: Contact LRDCComputing Services S we will determine if the message is a hoax. Check reputable web sites that provide lists and descriptions of known virus hoaxes: ·          ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACHoaxes.html ·          www.kumite.com/myths ·          www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html ·          www.nai.com/services/support/hoax/hoax.asp Signs of a Real Virus: 1 Your virus software reports an infected file. 2 Someone you share your files with tells you that their virus protection software detected an infected file. 3 While using a word processor you are suddenly forced to save all of your files as templates. 4 You receive a message that a program is trying to write to the boot sector of your hard drive or that your boot sector has been changed. 5 An unusual message (not an error message) appears on your machine. If you suspect that you have a computer virus, please run your anti-virus program or contact LRDC Computing Services (x4-7033) for assistance. If you find a computer virus, please inform any colleagues with whom you share files. Virus Prevention: 1 Make sure that you have an anti-virus program on your computer and that it is running in the background. 2 Make sure that your virus definitions are up-to-date. 3 Make sure that your program is set up to automatically scan floppy disks, attachments, and downloaded files. A computer virus is sometimes misused. It is not always a program that is going to take over your computer and destroy it. It is not an accident. Someone wrote destructive viruses for the purpose of making things hard for other people. A virus is also a program that is put on your computer without your consent. A virus may have been written to multiply, destroy data, or damage a program or your computer. It may take years for the virus to be noticed. It may just sit there and do nothing; or, you may get it and it will immediately take down your computer. How Exactly Does a Virus Work? The first thing a virus will attempt to do is take over your operating system. Next, it will find some means of spreading. A virus tries to take over as many computer systems as possible before it executes. It would not be worth the virus programmer’s time to have it take out one computer immediately. Basically, a virus lives in a "host" program. When you execute that host program, you execute the virus. Take the "Word macro Virus" as an example. It was harmless outside of Word; but when you used Word, it could be deadly. You may have heard of programs like Trojan horses, logic or time bombs, and worms. These are all names referring to computer viruses. A Trojan horse is a virus that sneaks into your computer like the Greeks at the siege of Troy. It creeps into your computer and hides until you execute the program in which it is hidden. A worm is exactly like a Trojan horse, but easier to deal with because it does not reproduce itself. Logic or Time Bombs are similar to a Trojan horse except that they have a built-in timer. On a certain date, it goes into action. All of these can be detected with a good anti-virus program. What is a Good Program to Use? The great debate over who has the best virus protection has been going on for years now. Everyone says that their program will protect you better than anyone else's. It is difficult to tell much difference between the virus protection programs. I do not like to say what I think is best because that would be an opinion for the Opinions section. When deciding on an anti-virus program, you must take many things into consideration: Am I on the Internet a lot, or am I just gaming at home? Does the company have free virus definition lists, or do I have to buy them? Are product upgrades free? Have I heard good things about this product? The virus definition list is what tells your computer about the new viruses. That way, when a new virus crops up, your computer has it on its list of viruses for which to scan. Several computer specialists in our area can not only provide more information on viruses, but can also show you available programs. Check this section every Saturday for more computing tips.

Computer Virus Prevention

In recent years there have been major outbreaks of computer viruses on campus causing significant damage to student computers and substantial problems for the College data network. To protect all computing resources, Knox College is requiring current antivirus software on all computers connected to the campus network. This includes all computers connecting to the campus network through modems.

Since these viruses began to infiltrate the Knox campus, the Computer Center has helped many students with computers infected with a full array of viruses. At least ninety percent of the infected systems either had no antivirus software installed or had outdated antivirus software. New viruses are released every day meaning that “lapsed” antivirus software results in a system being open to the risk of losing documents and/or installed software. Individual infected computers can also have a negative impact on the performance of the overall data network infrastructure.

It is worth noting that many viruses will not and can not be noticed by the Computer Center. Rather, they will destroy files and damage local systems without impacting the network.

It is the responsibility of each individual to keep his/her system as “virus free” as possible by purchasing, installing and updating antivirus software.

What are computer viruses or worms?
Computer viruses and worms are computer programs that are designed to harmfully impact the way your computer works without your knowledge or permission. These malicious computer programs are pieces of programming code that usually comes from the Internet or via e-mail and ?infect? your computer or system. Once your computer becomes infected, the virus/worm can spread and do damage to your operating system, your program files, and data and infect other people in your e-mail address book

How does my computer get a viruses?
Viruses maybe sent to your computer through file sharing, e-mail or downloads from the Internet. The virus program code becomes activated when you open the infected file, boot the computer with and infected disk, or use an infected floppy disk or by ?clicking? on an infected program file sent as an attachment.

When a computer becomes infected by an e-mail attachment, it can be spread to other users that are in your e-mail address book. Some of the more widely known viruses and worms, such as KLEZ, ?I Love You? and Code red viruses started as an e-mail attachment. Clicking on the attachment to view it can launch the propagation of the computer virus.

How can I prevent virus infections?
It is strongly suggested that you do not open e-mail attachments from an unknown sender.

Another way to protect your computer is to install anti-virus software. Hofstra University provides Anti-Virus software for all computers connected to the Hofstra computer network. In addition, members of the Hofstra community can download a free copy of McAfee VirusScan 8.0 Enterprise Edition software.

Some signs of virus infection: a program or file is suddenly missing; an unusual message or graphics is displayed; size of a file changes without explanation; a program or file does not work as expected.
 

Be sure to install anti-virus software on your computer and keep the virus signature files up-to-date. Once a new virus is introduced, the anti-virus program identifies the virus through a virus signature. By setting the anti-virus program to update the virus signatures automatically, you can prevent virus infections.
 

Make a bootable recovery disk to restart your computer in case it becomes infected. Be sure the recovery disk is write-protected by sliding the write protection tab to the top of the disk.
 

Never open an e-mail attachment without scanning it first. You can perform this task by changing this setting in the McAfee virus preferences.
 

Set your anti-virus software to check all downloads from the Internet for viruses.
 

Backup your files frequently.

The nature of online volunteering means a lot of contact between computers -- emails, attachments, transfers of files, etc. Because of this interaction, volunteers and organizations can be at risk for transmitting computer viruses between each other.

Most computer viruses are merely annoying -- the most common reported by online volunteers are those that alter Microsoft Word macro functions, and those that attach meaningless files to emails. But there are a few that can lead to system crashes and other serious problems, such as the "Melissa" virus of April 1999, which launched emails with a virus attached to everyone in a user's address book without the user knowing about it.

Often, nonprofit and public sector organizations don't have a lot of understanding about computer viruses. They often don't know how to distinguish between real virus warnings and the many "hoax" warnings that permeate the Internet, or they don't know how to tell when a computer is infected by a virus, let alone how to clean it.

Online volunteers assisting an agency should ask the organization what kind of anti-virus software is on the agency's computers and if it is updated regularly. Online volunteers should also tell the agency what kind of virus software they use and should make sure that they, too, upgrade it regularly (most manufacturers post free updates on their web sites at least every quarter). A good online task for a volunteer could be to let the organization know when an upgrade for their particular virus software is available, and how to download it and install it on their various computers. If the organization does not have anti-virus software, an online volunteer could help them identify some options. And if the organization does not have anti-virus software, it is especially important that online volunteers have it on their computers!

PLEASE NOTE: these are merely suggestions, with no expressed or implied warranty, guarantee, or formal commercial endorsement. Please read carefully all manufacturer's materials regarding software before downloading any product. UNV nor organizations you are assisting can be held responsible for problems on your computer that may arise from your downloading and use of the materials referred below, or for viruses your computer may encounter as part of an online volunteering assignment.

Various online volunteers have provided the following index of links to sites to educate others about computer viruses, and to help online volunteers prevent computer viruses from infecting their computers and from being passed on from their computers to others.