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Keep Your
Computer Virus Free: A Personal Rant And Rave From Your Network
Administrator
Its a shame the
some people on the Internet have nothing better to do other than
to try and destroy your computer. At PM Communications, we see
this every day as we try to filter out viruses from the network.
In the last 48 hours we're seeing a new breed of virus attacks
via email which are once again, trying to destroy your
computer(or at least make it so you cannot use the internet)
Just a warning,
and we know you probably know this already, but NEVER NEVER
NEVER open any email attachment EVEN IF YOU RECOGNIZE THE
SENDER'S NAME. More than likely it's a virus just waiting to
destroy your computer. The people who write these viruses aren't
stupid and they're trying everything they can do to infect your
system. If you do receive an attachment, even if it looks
legitimate, don't open it without scanning it for a virus, or
contacting the sender to see if they really did send you a valid
file. More often than not, they didn't.
In an effort to
clean up internet viruses, we have installed a firewall which
blocks 99% of this junk. It's been running for nearly six months
and does an excellent job. We destroy most viruses before you
ever even see them, but unfortunately some slip through the
system which is why we want to make you aware of the situation.
Just a few quick
rules for maintaining your PC. These will make it last longer,
run faster and hopefully spare you from expensive repair bills.
1) ALWAYS ALWAYS
ALWAYS run a CURRENT copy of an AntiVirus program and KEEP IT
UPDATED! If you don't do the live updates on it,. it's just like
not even having it. If you don't do this.... it's not a matter
if "if" you will get a virus, it's a matter of
"when" you will get a virus. And trust us, it will
happen sooner or later.
2) ALWAYS do
Windows updates on your system. Microsoft releases updates for
their software on a regular basis. They don't do this because they
have nothing better to do. They do it to make your system work
better and prevent your system from catching a virus. If your
computer asks if you want to install new updates, don't ignore
it, Do it! It's there for your protection. You can do this by
opening Internet Explorer, go to Tools and Windows Update. Then
follow the directions on the screen. Keep installing the updates
until it says there are no more. Once you're up to date,
continue this at least once a week to keep your machine safe.
There's no excuse for not doing Windows Updates. They're FREE!!!
3) Install Spybot
or similar software to eliminate and prevent Spyware or Adware
from your computer. Spyware is malicious software that sends
information about you and/or your computer back to someone on
the internet. This could include personal info such as your
name, email address, phone number, checking account or credit
card numbers and can even report what sites you visit and the
content of all your email back to someone. Obviously you don't
want this sort of information being sent all over the internet
for anyone to view. Adware is just as bad. Adware pops up those
annoying Advertisements on your screen. We've seen systems with
so much Adware that you cant even surf because of all the
Advertisements popping up. By installing Spybot,
you will remove these evil programs and keep your information
safe, and stop those advertisements (or most of them). It will
also improve the overall performance of your system. There's
no excuse for not ridding your system of Spyware or
Adware(unless of course you just love seeing all those annoying
popup boxes trying to sell you junk). Best of all this software
is FREE!!!
4) NEVER NEVER
NEVER open any attachment with the extension: .exe
.bat .vbs
.zip .ini .dll or
anything you do not recognize. There is a chance that someone
may have sent you a legitimate program, but it only takes one
infected file to destroy your entire computer. If you are
unclear, check with the sender first and ask, "did you send
me this program, and what does it do?"
5) Be very
cautions about installing "FREE" software on the
internet. Nothing in life is FREE. More than likely it contains
either a virus, Spyware or Adware.
6) Junk Mail -
General rule of thumb is this: DO NOT sign up for
"FREE" stuff on the internet(unless of course you just
love all that junk mail you're getting). Keep your email address
private and only give it to people you trust. As soon as you
register for anything on the net, rest assured, you'll be
receiving unlimited offers to "refinance your home",
or "get medications online" or even worse... and you
know what I'm talking about. Email rule #2: Never respond to the
"take me off your list" on the bottom of junk mail.
All that does is lets the spammer know he's got a valid email
address to keep sending his junk mail to. Just ignore it....
they will not remove you from their list if you continue to
respond. Lastly, NEVER buy anything from a ad you received via
junk mail. First of all, it's probably a scam and you'll never
receive what you ordered. And Second... you're just encouraging
them to send more spam. If everyone would quit ordering from
these companies, they wouldn't have a reason to keep sending junk mail.
Legitimate businesses do not send junk mail. Boycott these
morons who do. The best thing you can do it immediately delete
the message as soon as you get it and don't give it a second
thought.
Of course there
are other precautions you can take, but these are the basic, and
mot important ones. Doing these tasks unfortunately will not guarantee
that your system will be free of viruses and clutter but it
dramatically improves your chances. If you have any questions
about securing your system, please do not hesitate to call us. That's
what we're here for.
And for those of
you who feel that these recommendations don't apply to
you..... well.... We're open 10am - 6pm M-F to
repair your system. Standard service rates apply. |
