A virus is a piece of programming code which is spread among computer users through the exchange of e-mail, the downloading of files from the internet, or the introduction of an infected CD or diskette into a machine.
These viruses are often disguised as non-threatening files which users unwittingly open or use, releasing the infection onto their computer.
Once released a virus will often set about propagating itself via a users internet connection and in some cases will threaten the integrity of files on the host computer.
Viruses are not a new threat to computer users however they are becoming more prolific and malicious in design. With an increasing amount of computers on the internet viruses are able to distribute themselves at an alarming speed and over a much wider area than ever before. Millions of computers are often infected before an outbreak is detected and once identified it may still take several hours before a method of protection is created and distributed.
So what can you do to avoid being infected with a virus?
There are several things that internet users can do to reduce the chances of being infected by a virus.
How to protect against virus infection:
Most viruses are distributed via e-mail so employing an Anti Virus product to scan all in-coming mail is often the most effective means of protection. The eircom net Email Protector is a system that is managed and maintained by eircom net that scans a customers in-coming mail for viruses. If the system detects a virus infected mail it places it in a quarantine area, accessible over the internet, and the customer is alerted.
Do not open any e-mail attachment unless you know what it is about, even if it comes from a friend or partner. Always ask for confirmation from the sender if you are in any doubt.
E-mails from friends, family, and other trusted sources must always be treated with caution when they contain suspicious attachments as a result of Spoofing, which is a common ploy of viruses. Spoofing is the forgery of an email header so the mail appears to have originated from someone other than the actual source (often a trusted email address) such as ten.mocrie|troppus#ten.mocrie|troppus etc. Customers should note that eircom net does not normally send attachments to its customers and if you receive an e-mail with an unexpected attachment which is purporting to come from eircom net then customers should contact support to verify it is legitimate before opening it.
Do not open the attachments of messages with a suspicious or unexpected subject. If you want to open them, first save them to your hard disk and scan them with an updated Anti Virus programme. Many common viruses have file extensions of .exe, .zip, or .vbs.
Installing an Anti Virus programme such as Norton or McAfee is strongly recommended. These programmes can be configured to stop viruses accessing your computer via e-mail and can also be used to scan your computer for any viruses that may already be there. If you have an Anti Virus program installed on your system, update it regularly. An average of 500 new viruses are discovered every month and these products are only effective against new threats if the user maintains the software by downloading the most up to date virus definitions on a regular basis.
Be careful when downloading files from the Internet. Check their source every time and make sure that an Anti Virus program already verified the files on the download site. If you are not sure about this, copy the file to your hard disk or to a floppy disk and recheck it using your own Anti Virus programme.
Any time you have doubts about a file or message, do not download, execute or open it.
What to do if you think your computer is infected with a virus:
If you think that your computer may already be infected with a virus we recommend that you purchase a reputable Anti Virus programme and scan your machine. These programmes are designed to detect and remove viruses from your machine.
If you already run an Anti Virus programme with the most recent virus definitions and you think that your computer may be infected with a virus then you should take your machine to a Computer store and have it checked by a professional technician.
