Viruses and Your Network

Viruses can spread quickly over a network, so your best defense is to install antivirus software on each computer on your network.

Vendors such as McAfee (www. mcafee .com) and Symantec (www. symantec .com) offer inexpensive (less than $40) antivirus software that can help keep your computers free of viruses.

Of course, you can do your part to keep your network clean of viruses:

  • Be wary of attachments from people you don't know. If you don't know the person, don't open the attachment (Figure 12.7). Some viruses can start to open themselves , usually in the preview window of your e-mail program. You can turn off the preview feature of your mail program, or press the Esc key when asked if you want to open or save the file. Then carefully delete the attachment.

    Figure 12.7. Don't open that e-mail! Hit the Esc key and immediately delete any message that looks suspicious.

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  • Today's viruses often come from someone you do know, who has accidentally opened a virus thinking it is a safe file. Make sure you know what the document is you're opening, even if it is from a trusted source.

  • Worse, some viruses can "spoof" addresses, making it appear to have been sent from an address, when in fact it has been sent from a completely different address than the one you see. This is often done when the virus searches through an infected user 's address book and picks an address at random to use as the sender's address. Check out Figure 12.7 and you'll see an e-mail that was created by a virus, and worse , has been spoofed to look like it's from someone I know. Tricky stuff.

Update your definition list often, your software's list of viruses that are currently in circulation. Active viruses are sometimes said to be "in the wild." Most antivirus software has automatic updating features that will connect over the Internet and download a current definition list (Figure 12.8). Make sure to use these features and get a new definition list often. Updating your list every 12 weeks will likely be sufficient.

Figure 12.8. Use your antivirus software's features for updating definition lists of viruses that are in the wild.

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If you find that a computer on your network is infected with a virus, check the Symantec and McAfee web sites for a downloadable software fix. The klez worm in particular is dangerous, because it has been widely distributed and can spread itself over a network. Shut down your Internet connection by turning off your modem, and get to work cleaning up your computers.

Common sense is your best defense. If everyone on your network knows to be careful with attachments, you should be looking good.



Complete Home Wireless Networking. Windows XP Edition
Complete Home Wireless Networking. Windows XP Edition
ISBN: N/A
EAN: N/A
Year: 2002
Pages: 118

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