VIRUS INFO

Despite what you may have heard, computer viruses are real and they can cause real damage to your computer (ranging from the deletion of important files through to preventing your computer from starting).

Connecting to the Internet doesn’t, in itself, expose your computer to additional risks. Viruses can only ‘propagate’ (that is, spread from computer to computer) in a limited number of ways. The most common way is for an infected program to be copied or downloaded to a computer and then run.

There are a number of ways that software can be transmitted over the Internet. Programs can be manually downloaded from Web and ftp sites. They can be sent via email. They can be passed around using the file transfer capabilities of online chat and ‘buddy’ services (IRC, ICQ etc.). They can even be downloaded from newsgroups.

The best defence against viruses is to install one or more anti-virus programs on your computer and configure them to check all incoming files and emails for viruses (most will do this by default). You should check the vendor’s Web site regularly (at least once a month, preferably fortnightly or weekly) for updates, as there are new viruses discovered almost daily.

Check all downloaded files and email attachments for viruses before running them. Be wary of running programs sent to you by people you don't know. Having said that, you cannot simply assume that because the sender is known to you, the program is virus free.

Trojan programs
'Trojan' programs carry another, unannounced program such as Back Orifice (see below). Programs downloaded from the Internet such as software applications, games etc. are all capable of carrying trojan programs. We cannot check the security of information that you download from the Internet so be very careful who you accept attachments or downloads from. Remember that executable files can only harm you if you open them.

Back Orifice
There is a hacker program called 'Back Orifice', which was released on to the Internet in August 1998, and we believe it only affects Windows 95/98. If the program is present on your PC, it opens up an 'orifice' through which other users can remotely 'hack into' your PC whenever you are online. It is, however, readily detectable - detailed information on how to both detect and remove it can be found at the sites given below.

Anti-virus software
Windows
Download anti-virus software from here
McAfee Viruscan - www.mcafee.com/
Norton Safe on the Web - www.symantec.com/region/reg_ap/
Esafe Protect - www.esafe.com/home/index.html
BoDetect - www.cbsoftsolutions.com

Macintosh
Dr Solomon's Virex - www.drsolomon.com/lakeducts/virex/index.cfm
Norton Anti-Virus for Mac - www.symantec.com/nav/nav_mac/

Further reading
About Viruses - antivirus.about.com
Virus Bulletin - www.virusbtn.com
McAfee Virus Information Centre - www.mcafee.com/centers/anti-virus/
Hoax Warnings - www.datafellows.com/news/hoax/
Virus Myths - kumite.com/myths/myths/
Back Orifice - www.nwi.net/pchelp/bo/bo.html