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VIRUS ACTIVITY IS EXTREMELY HIGH
- It is very important that
you keep your computer up-to-date to provide protection against viruses and
security vulnerabilities by doing regular Microsoft updates. Remember that Microsoft and most other software
companies will not send update notifications by email, so you must take the
responsibility for regularly scheduled updates.
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Is your virus protection up-to-date? - I know, it
costs money to renew that subscription to Norton's or McAfee! But if
you are using your computer online without having up-to-date virus
protection you are really asking for trouble. It is only a matter of
time before you will
pick up a virus. And for those who think that viruses only come
in through e-mail, think again. Surfing to some sites, especially
game cheat and song lyric sites, most likely will result in at least
spyware on your computer and can even result in a virus
infection. Which brings us to the next subject...
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Spyware or Adware? - Spyware and Adware are programs or
files that are placed on your computer by a website you visit, which enables
companies to track your Internet usage, the sites you visit and even
personal information. Are you suddenly getting a ton of pop-ups? Is
your connection running very slow?
Chances are you have spyware and/or adware on your computer. You could
have both. If your ISP doesn't
offer spyware and adware blocking, consider downloading one of the free programs such
as
Spy-Bot Search and Destroy and/or
Ad-Aware and running a scan.
Attachments?
- As always, do not open attachments that you do not recognize or anticipate
receiving. Some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer virus protection
that automatically checks attachments for viruses, but not all of them or
some only with an extra charge. Therefore, to be safe, always be
cautious of attachments, even ones coming from someone that you think you
know. Never open an attachment with an extension of .pif or .scr and
be extremely cautious of opening anything with .exe. When in doubt,
throw it out.
Getting Spam?
- For information on combating spam from Sophos Anti-Virus,
click here
- Be aware that many spam messages or virus infected messages will "spoof"
the return address (making it look like it is coming from someone you know)
to cause you to open the email or attachment.
Get Rich Quick? - You will probably receive many
emails with offers that sound too good to be true. Don't believe everything
you read.
The internet is full of
get-rich-quick schemes and various sales offers. If you reply these email
offers, you will probably receive more spam messages and potential virus
infected emails. Many times trying to unsubscribe from spam messages will
only result in more messages and it will confirm to the sender that someone
is really reading the original email. Simply deleting the email is the most
effective method of removal.
Chain Letters and
Forwarding Mail? - Sending chain letters and
forwarding bulk email is another form of spam. These forms of email simply
use bandwidth and clog the internet email system. Please do not forward
chain letters and similar types of spam messages.
Virus or Hoax?
- Here is the latest virus and hoax information, sponsored by Sophos
Anti-Virus.
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