A computer virus is a software program that can copy itself without your knowledge or permission. Most viruses also have other effects, which may be:
- Annoying but harmless, such as a message that appears on your screen.
- Inconvenient, such as a missing option in a Word menu.
- Destructive to your work, such as a corrupted personal file.
- Destructive to your computer, such as a corrupted
system file.
New computer viruses crop up every day, but luckily most are fairly easy to detect and remove. This document explains how
to protect yourself from virus infections through safe computing practices
and routine use of Smith's virus-checking tools. These procedures also
help you protect your colleagues and correspondents.
Safe handling practices for email attachments
Protecting your files on a Macintosh or Windows computer
Virus hoaxes
Virus information websites
Safe Handling Practices for Email Attachments
Many types of viruses, including the highly destructive "worm" viruses, travel as email attachments. Example "worms" include the LoveBug virus, the Anna Kournikova virus, and the Navidad virus.
In almost all cases, these viruses are not activated unless you actually open the infected attachment. Therefore:
- The very best way to protect yourself against worm viruses and other email viruses is to be suspicious of every attachment, even if it appears to come from someone you know and trust. This is because most worms propagate in a very devious fashion, using Microsoft Outlook as a cover.
When an Outlook user receives and opens an infected attachment, the worm infiltrates their Outlook address book and sends itself to everyone listed there, without the user's knowledge. So if anyone you correspond with, on- or off-campus, uses Microsoft Outlook, you are a candidate for infection.
- Even the most vigilant users sometimes forget to be careful, so there is another important step you must take. That is, set up GroupWise so you always view, rather than open, email attachments.
Viewing lets you see the contents of an attached file without activating any code it may contain. So if you were expecting to see regular text or an image but instead see something different, you can delete the message and the attachment before any harm is done.
To set GroupWise to "view" attachments:
- Open GroupWise.
- Go to Tools/Options/Environment.
- Click on the General tab in the Environment window.
- Click on the checkbox beside View attachment.
- Click OK to save your changes.
Protecting Your Files on a Macintosh or Windows computer
The best way to protect the files on your computer is to install virus-scanning software. Smith provides every student, staff, and faculty member with a free copy of our recommended anti-virus programs, McAfee VirusScan for Windows and Macintosh.
Students must have an up-to-date copy of VirusScan installed on their computer in order to access the Internet in a Smith residence house.
Smith-owned computers used by staff and faculty come with VirusScan pre-installed.
If you are a member of the Smith community and do not have VirusScan installed on your office or home computer, you can download a free copy from the Smith software download site.
Back to top >
Virus Hoaxes
f someone sends you a virus warning that seems exaggerated, please read it carefully. If you have any suspicion that the warning may be a hoax, please call the User Support Center at ext. 4487 before you send the warning on to other people. The ITS virus-protection team will evaluate the threat and contact you.
If a virus is supposed to be able to delete the contents of your safe deposit box or clean out your checking account, stop to think about what is being claimed. Sometimes the warning contains a link that you can click on to download more information. Beware! The download itself may infect your machine.
Virus Information Websites
Often the best virus information is on the Web. These URLs take you to virus information sites that are updated constantly:
http://www.mcafee.com/anti-virus/default.asp?
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/
http://www.Europe.F-Secure.com/virus-info/