10 Tips For Virus Free

I'm just doing my daily googling and found these great tips for you all, i think it would great if share this tips if you keen on protecting your computer. You can visit http://askit.uq.edu.au to search for more tips. Lets continue reading...


1. Have Anti-Virus Software installed on your computer

One of the easiest ways to avoid getting a virus is to have some kind of Anti-Virus Software on your computer, and keep it up-to-date. There are a number of Anti-Virus packages available, it is a matter of finding one that suits you.

There are a number of Freeware and Shareware products available. An example is ClamWin Antivirus, a free virus scanner which can be set to regularly download the latest virus definitions just like paid software.

Another source of free software, including anti-virus software, is magazines. Computing magazines such as APC (Australian Personal Computing) often attach free CD's which include good quality software, for example, Norton AntiVirus.

Some sites with Freeware and Shareware Anti-Virus Software (This is not a comprehensive list):

• Freeware Arena: This site also links off to other freeware sites.
• It's Free 4 U.com
• Freebyte's Guide to free Anti-Virus software: this site includes links to non-free anti-virus software sites.
• WebAttack.com: Freeware
• WebAttack.com: Shareware

While many freeware and shareware products are excellent, it is important to bear in mind these points:

1. You get what you pay for; and
2. Buyer beware!

2. Update your Anti-Virus Software

Most virus companies create monthly or weekly virus updates. These updates cover profiles of all th enew viruses that have been discovered. There are over 500 new viruses discovered every month, which makes it crucial that you keep your Anti-Virus software updated.

To update your software you will need to go to your Anti-Virus software site, for example, if you have McAfee Anti-Virus software you will need to go to the McAfee website. Once you are at the appropriate website you need to find the new profiles and download them. Once they have been installed you may need to restart your computer.

3. Patch your Operating System

Viruses are developed to take advantage of known vulnerabilities in programs. To ensure that these vulnerabilities are not taken advantage of companies produce "patches". It is important that you regularly download these.

If you have the Microsoft suite of programs, you will need to go to the Microsoft Windows Update site. In most newer operating systems, for example, Windows 2000 and Windows XP, all you need to do is click on the Start button, All Programs, and then on the Windows Update menu option. This will take you to the Windows Update site (make sure you have an active Internet connection at the time).

Alternatively, you can open Internet Explorer and visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/.

If you have an Apple Macintosh, you can download the the latest security updates from the Apple site.

4. Hoax or Real?

It is important that when you receive a notice telling you about the latest viruses infecting computers around the world, that you don't immediately believe it! Before you believe the notice and delete files or send it on to all your friends, make sure it is a real virus. These are often hoax notices.

5. E-mail Attachments

E-mail is one of the most common ways of communicating on the Internet. It is also one of the most common ways that viruses are spread. The e-mail itself, that is, the text of the message will NOT contain the virus. Viruses are found in attachments to emails.

Not all attachments will be infected with a virus. Make sure that you are careful and do not open any attachments before checking that they are not "odd" or unusual in some way.

For example, an attachment may have an unusual file extension - like a Word document called my document.doc.vbs. This file should be deleted straightaway. Contact the sender to verify what you were supposed to receive.

Straight data files cannot contain viruses as they need files that contain some kind of executable code. Files with extensions such as .txt, .csv, .jpg, .gif, and .mp3 are unlikely to contain viruses. However, files with extensions such as .doc, .xls, .exe, .scr and .htm may contain viruses.

6. E-mail Security

Depending on what email software (for example, Eudora, MS Outlook, Pegasus, etc) you use, there will be settings that you can change to ensure that you don't accidentally accept a virus. Ensure the following:

• Do Not automatically open attachments
• Do Not automatically download attachments
• Disallow or prompt to read HTML e-mail. If your email client allows it, turn off the preview pane
• Patches need to be downloaded and run regularly

7. Sharing Disks

At University, another common way that viruses are spread is via disk sharing. All Library computers have Anti-Virus software on them, ensure that everyone is aware of the risks with viruses and disks are checked regularly. Before you open someone else's disk on your computer, scan it with your Anti-Virus software.

If a disk is only going to be used to read information, then write protect it by pushing the tab on the disk up. This will stop data being written to the disk and therefore any viruses from accidentally being placed onto your disk.

8. Backup, Backup, Backup...

If a virus does infect your computer it may corrupt one or more files. This may mean that they assignment your were about to submit or Ph.D. Thesis is now useless. It is important that you regularly backup all your files.

• Buy floppy disks and learn how to take care of them<.
• Always save a backup copy of your file as soon as you begin it. You can do this by:
  • Clicking the Save Button on the Toolbar, or
  • Pressing Ctrl+S on the keyboard, or
  • Clicking File » Save.
• If you're working on campus (especially in the Library), save the file to your floppy disk.
  If you're working at home, you can also save to the hard drive (usually called the C:\ drive) of your computer.
• Always save the file after every significant change - for example after every paragraph.
• The more important the file, the more copies you should make of it.
  • Use more than one floppy disk, as floppy disks corrupt quite easily. Don't depend on one only.
  • If you have access to more than one computer, put copies of your files on each of them.

9. Macro Settings

There are a number of viruses that are known as Macro Viruses. Webopedia estimates that 75% of all viruses are macro viruses. Applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint allow you to create quite powerful macros. Macro Viruses are embedded in documents and can embed themselves in all future documents you create. Anti-Virus software can detect these.

Ensure your macro settings are set to medium protection:

• Open the application (eg. MS Word, Excel or PowerPoint)
• Click on Tools
• Click on Macros and then Security
• It is best to set the security to Medium
  
  With a Medium setting you will be told if there is a macro embedded within a document. If you receive an attachment with a macro, do not open it unless you are certain that there should be one. Contact the person who sent the document to you to confirm whether or not there should be a macro.
  
  
• Click on OK

If you have an older version of Office (Office 97, for example), the macro settings may not be exactly the same. You need to ensure that your version of Office does NOT automatically run macros.

10. Download or Purchase from trusted sources

Aside from e-mail and disk sharing, downloading files from the Internet is the most common way to get a virus. When downloading files from the Internet, ensure that the site scans their files. If they don't, download the file to a floppy disk and scan with your Anti-Virus Software.

When downloading or purchasing software it is better to use legitimate or trusted sources. Purchasing or downloading illegal copies increases the risk of there being viruses attached.

Source from http://askit.uq.edu.au

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