Protecting against Viruses and Worms

The Internet is a great place to be, but it's also dangerous. Virus and worms are deadly cretins that can have adverse effects on your computer and your productivity. Here are a few pointers to help you prevent the invasion of virus and worms on your system.

• Invest in a good anti-virus software. There are many to choose from. The popular one being, Norton's Anti-virus, Dr. Solomon's Anti-virus and McAffee.
• Frequently download the updates to the anti-virus you are using
• Backup important data on a regular basis.
• Never open email attachments from unknown sources.
• Never download and install .exe files from personal web sites. For example, if you want a free software, it's better to download it from the developer's web site or from known and respected directories such as Tucows than from a web site of an individual.
• Restrain yourself from downloading MicroSoft Office files from unfamiliar sites.
• Increase the security level of your browser. For Internet Explorer version 4, go to View - Internet Options. Click on the Security tab and choose High or Medium security level.
• Download and install updates for browsers and email programs you use. The MicroSoft site has a tool that automatically checks which security features your system needs. You can find more information about it here.
• Keep yourself updated with annoucements on newly found virus and worms.

Extreme precaution

• Ruthlessly delete emails with attachments.
• Install two anti-virus scanners. No single anti-virus program is fool-proof. Using two at the same time increases your chances of detecting and deleting the virus/worm.
• Disable receiving emails in html format.