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Viruses
A virus is a program which reproduces its own code, by attaching itself to other programs, in such a way that the virus code is executed, when the infected program is executed. What makes viruses special, is that they work by placing self-replicating code in other programs. This self-replicating program, when triggered by some event, may be harmful to your computer.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when considering viruses:
- you can only get a virus by executing an infected program or booting from an infected storage device. Any storage device, even a non-bootable one, can be infected by a boot sector virus.
- you cannot get a virus simply by being on a bulletin board system (BBS), Internet or an on-line service. You will only become infected if you download an infected file and execute that file (including the Microsoft Office related files - use a viewer program for viewing rather than using the actual software).
- keep backups of all your files.
- check all new software for viruses. Even shrink-wrapped software from a major publisher may contain a virus.
The main methods of virus protection are:
- monitoring and identifying unusual disk activity, using a resident program.
- scanning program and data files on your computer, using software such as CA/Vet and Norton/Symantec.
- scanning incoming on-line data (from the Internet, for example) for macro viruses.
If you detect a virus, it is essential that you notify your supervisor, IT support department and any other parties who may be affected.
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