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Jeff briefly explained the differences between computer viruses, Trojan horses and worms. A computer can get infected by running a contaminated program, a .com or .exe file, or booting from a diskette that is infected, or opening a document from some Microsoft software. However, to be aware of potential dangers means that half the battle is already won. Jeff emphasized the practice of 'safe hex,' such as to not open email attachments or download files before they are duly scanned by the anti-virus software; to not open a document with macros enabled and to not boot from a floppy unless it is one that was personally created. I would add another safeguard that I picked up from an earlier presentation by Jeff and that I enforce at home: forbidding the kids to bring home any games or CD that were copied. My high school son mentioned recently that three of his friends got viruses in the last month. As soon as my kids were old enough to understand I told them about abiding by the copyright laws; even more importantly, the need to be careful of possible 'germs' brought by unlawful copies. If they really want a game or a CD we will buy it. Additional recommendations by Jeff are to back-up on a regular basis, especially important files and not to panic should disaster strike. A user can do more damage when emotions are high than walk away for a while and approach the situation with a clear head. Jeff also mentioned the important subject of virus prevention in the enterprise. Some of my colleagues grumble when, for example, they are not allowed to install a favorite screen-saver. What they may not realize is that the MIS manager is holding a tight ship. Surely a virus from inside the company would bring downtime and affect productivity with all the negative repercussions on the business. During his presentation Jeff was not afraid to critique the 'brand' anti-viruses, even though some in the audience may not have agreed with him. Jeff also talked briefly about firewalls, both software and hardware, which are most important to users of "always on" computers such as cable and DSL. A piece of advice that was most timely for me was Jeff’s updated list of recommended anti-virus software developers. For the last couple of months (or even longer, I have to sheepishly admit) I have put off looking at the Norton Anti-virus that came with my computer. The software did not update properly and I was at a loss on how to find pertinent information on the web page where I could update. I, therefore, put the anti-virus on the back burner until last night, when I visited the web pages of companies that Jeff recommended.
Last night I downloaded the 30-day trial version of F-Prot for Windows. I like it and will register. It does not conflict with anything on the computer, it has a clean interface with straightforward information and is uncomplicated to use. The price is right at $25.00/year. To get started, I only had to input my mail server and mail address. It is a lot like Kaspersky. More subjectively, I like the fact that this software is from a company in Iceland. I had no second thought of uninstalling Norton, including all the fancy features that I never used and had no intention of using. Even though antivirus software is installed on our computers, Jeff stressed that security is not magic; vigilance has to be maintained at all times. Also antivirus software is a perishable item. Updating and renewability of the virus protection are the keys for our computers to remain virus free. |
| Marlène Gaberel is a board member of DACS and VP for Marketing. She is a regular contributor of the monthly meeting preview. |
On March 5th, DACS resident expert Jeff Setaro
gave a presentation on computer viruses. Virus protection may
not be glamorous, but if not taken seriously, your computer and
your life can be compromised. However, Jeff pointed out that
just having anti-virus software installed does not mean a user
can be reckless and do anything.
Earlier, I had asked Jeff if I should
pursue Norton or install 