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Medicinal measures for modem and mouse
Computer viruses got you panicked? Then follow Bruce Krever's ten point guide to safe computing.
By: Bruce Krever
"Now, stick out your tongue and say ahhh... No, open up wider. Try not to gag. I'm just going to stick this back here and… oh, boy. This isn't good. What have you been putting down there? You don't get that from popsicles. I'm afraid it will all have to come out. Nurse, get me the anaesthetic."
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Like safe sex, it's no guarantee that you won't catch anything, but it will improve your chances |
If this is the kind of thing you hope doesn't happen when you go to the doctor, you probably try to eat right, get enough sleep, get some exercise once in a while, maybe even take some vitamins. But what do you do to try to keep your computer healthy?
Computers and the Internet bring us many conveniences and advantages. Computer viruses are not one of them, but they are a reality. Given this fact, there are some practices you should adopt to help insure the safety of your computer's data. Like safe sex, it's no guarantee that you won't catch anything, but it will improve your chances. If you're not very comfortable using computers, don't worry. These procedures are not difficult, but there may be a learning curve you'll need to climb. But climbing it will benefit you enormously in the long run.
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Read some online reviews to help you decide which program will be most appropriate for your needs |
Backup all your important data regularly. If you do lose files to a destructive computer virus - or if your hard drive fails for other reasons, like generic software corruption due to repeated crashes - you may have to reformat the hard drive and reinstall the operating system and all your programs from scratch. That means all your data will be gone. So keep all your important documents backed up on removable media (floppies, ZIP disks, etc.) or a second hard drive. Remember that floppies and other magnetic media can fail and become unreadable over time, so you may want to keep two different backup copies of your files.
Buy a good anti-virus program. Good ones will detect viruses and virus-like activity, alert you and allow you to choose a course of action, and have the ability to disinfect files containing viruses so they can be used safely. McAfee VirusScan (www.mcafee.com) and Norton Antivirus (ca.symantecstore.com/Category/0,1257,2-8-1,00.html) are two popular ones. Some companies will even let you download a trial version. Read some online reviews to help you decide which program will be most appropriate for your needs. You might want to start with some of these sites: www.daviestrek.com/cwsapps/32virus-reviews.html, pcworld.com, www.sharewarejunkies.com/pcanti.htm, www.bocklabs.wisc.edu/~janda, macworld.zdnet.com. Try to find recent reviews (within the past 12 months or so), though older reviews can be good for background information.
Learn to use and configure your virus scanner properly. A poorly configured scanner will do little good. Read the manual or use the online help files the program comes equipped with. Yes, really.
Download and install the latest virus definitions for your scanner as soon as they're available (usually monthly or weekly). Old virus definitions will not detect new viruses.
Have your virus scanner automatically scan all removable media each time they are mounted (inserted into the floppy or ZIP drives).
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Beware of e-mail attachments and delete the ones you don't need. Ask yourself: will your life will really be enriched by watching an animation of the 'burning bag of poo' joke? |
Configure your web browser(s) to save any files downloaded from the Internet to a single folder on your computer. Configure your scanner to scan that folder every time any new files are added to it or changes are made to those files. Do the same with your email program(s) so that any attachments are scanned as soon as you download your email messages.
Do not open email attachments you don't need. Delete them. Is your life really going to be enriched by watching an animation of the "burning bag of poo" joke? Email viruses like Melissa mean you can't assume files that come from friends are safe. If you must open them, scan them first. But remember that no virus scanner is 100% effective, since new viruses are being created all the time. When you open an attachment, you're taking a risk. If you follow all the steps outlined here the risk will be smaller, but it's still there.
Understand that there are levels of risk involved in files you get from others. Pure text, like the body of an email message, cannot contain viruses. Neither can image files, like JPEGs or GIFs. (Still, are you sure it's really just a JPEG because the filename ends in .jpg?). But executable files (Windows files with the DOS extension .exe), applications or programs, and files generated by programs that use macros - like Word or Excel files - can contain viruses. So the only Word files, for example, that are 100% safe are ones that were created on your computer and have stayed there (assuming your computer is not already infected). If someone else has worked on them and sent them back to you, they may be infected.
Only download files and programs from websites you trust (you should still scan them, though). If you decide to download some "free" program from Joe's Hacks, Phreaks, and Warez Page and it turns out to be a "trojan horse" that reformats your hard drive or emails porn to all your friends and family, you really have only yourself to blame. And remember that virus scanners cannot detect or "disinfect" trojans (malicious programs).
Learn more about computer viruses, and computers in general, in your spare time. Find a website that covers computer-related issues daily, bookmark it, and visit it frequently. Macintouch is a good site for Mac users (macintouch.com). There are tons of sites out there that cover computer issues and are loaded with helpful, topical tips and information. You might want to subscribe to a (free) daily email newsletter, like Henri Delger's Virus Alert (register at www.tipworld.com). (Tipworld has lots of other computer-related newsletters, too.) Two very good, in-depth virus (and virus hoax) information sites can be found at www.kumite.com/myths and www.stiller.com/vnews.htm.
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If you decide to download some "free" program from Joe's Hacks, Phreaks, and Warez Page and it turns out to be a "trojan horse" that reformats your hard drive or emails porn to all your friends and family, you really have only yourself to blame |
© Bruce Krever, April, 2000
Bruce Krever, former jazz musician, teacher, and copy editor, lives in Toronto and is now working as a layout artist, production person, and Macintosh technical support person for a publishing services company. He also enjoys learning about - and trying to play - chess.
Other articles from the Krever chronicles
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