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FrogNet Virus Information PageWhat Is A Virus?A computer virus is a program that infects your computer and then spreads itself quickly. Viruses can often be quite difficult to eradicate. They can infect almost any type of file and then spread to other files on your computer and replicate by emailing themselves to other computers (usually by using your address book to do so). Viruses can cause varying degrees of damage depending on what the author of the virus intended. Some may only display messages or images on your screen, they can also destroy files, reformat your hard drive, or even cause your computer to no longer be able to boot up. Other viruses even downgrade the overall performance of your computer by taking up hard drive space, memory, etc. In the past, most viruses were spread primarily via floppy disk. In the Internet age, however, most viruses spread through email. They now have the power to infect entire companies or communities in a matter of minutes. With a few hundred new viruses being detected every month, there is little chance that they will go away any time soon. What Can You Do To Protect Yourself From Viruses?The first step is to get an anti-virus program installed on your computer. The next step is to be cautious about each and every file or email attachment you receive, even if it's from your own family! Tips1) Do not open any email attachments from any source (even friends and family) without first checking them for viruses. 2) Do not open any files downloaded from the Internet without first checking them for viruses. 3) Never read, forward or reply to any chain emails, email petitions or junk email. Spam note: Do not reply to an email from and unknown source which says 'reply with the word "unsubscribe" in the Subject or message body.' It will usually have the exact opposite effect! You will end up receiving even more junk mail. 4) Update your anti-virus software regularly (minimum once a month). A few hundred viruses are discovered each month. Most anti-virus programs offer updated virus signitures or virus definitions weekly. 5) Prepare for the worst: backup your important data on a regular basis. There are many possible ways to backup your software: writable CDs, Zip disks, floppy disk, online backup sites, etc. 6) Sign up for an anti-virus email alert program. You will received notices when new viruses are found. (See Links below.) 7) Check the McAfee Anti-Virus calendar to see what viruses are "on their way." Test Your Anti-Virus SoftwareIt is a good idea to make sure your anti-virus software was installed properly and is working as it should. Click here to use Command Software Systems anti-virus software test. Social EngineeringMany e-mail worms and viruses try to trick you into opening an infected e-mail attachment. Such trickery is called "Social Engineering" by hackers. All of the e-mail messages below were infected... tricky, eh.
As a general rule, you should avoid opening unsolicited email attachments whenever possible. 90-99% of the time, they are infected with a virus. Unsolicieted emails with attachements that end in the following file extensions should never be trusted. You should always scan them for viruses first.
Microsoft never sends security updates via
email. NEVER. So don't believe any emails claiming that they are a
patch for any Microsoft products. Patches and updates for Microsoft
products can ONLY be found on their website at this address... A common trick to get you to open up an infected email is to have the sender be someone familiar to you. Don't open attachments even if it's from your mom. Chances are, your mom's computer was infected and the virus is now trying to use social engineering to spread to your machine. Safe File AttachmentsImage files cannot be infected so you can still send grandma pictures of the baby. It is generally safe to open an email attachment that end with .jpg .jpeg .png .gif .psd .tiff Audio files that end in .mp3 or .wav can not be infected, however some .avi .mpg and .mpeg files can be infected. You should still scan these files with your antivirus program. New viruses are discovered all the time. Open Microsoft Word and Excell Documents with CautionMany businesses need to e-mail Microsoft word documents and excel spreadsheets to their employees. Unfortunately, these files can become infected with devastating "macro viruses". If you absolutely HAVE to open one of these files you should first make sure that you have an antivirus program installed and operational on your computer. Then scan the document with your antivirus program before opening it. You should always Microsoft Word and Excell documents for viruses even if they are from your boss or someone you believe to be trusted. Many new viruses can impersonate people so you never know who is really sending it. It could say it's from your boss, but it could really be coming from someone else. DownloadsAVG AntiVirus 6.0
LinksAnti-Virus Programs
Online Anti-Virus Scans
Email AlertsRemoval ToolsHoaxesCommand Software Systems Virus InformationCentral Command OtherICSA Lab's Certified Anti-Virus Products
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