WARNING, A VIRUS - Is not a bad cold for your PC

Warning! If you receive an e-mail with the words "PenpalGreetings" in the header, DON'T READ IT! This is a virus that will erase all the data on your computer's hard drive. So begins an email from a well-meaning friend. Few computer disasters generate as much interest as viruses. After all, have you ever recieved an e-mail warning you of the perils of not doing regular backups? And although the intentions are good, in this case the information is faulty. Probably the most important thing to know about computer viruses is this: like many potential computer problems, the best defense is a little common sense. Understanding some basic information about what a virus is and isn't, and how it can and can't make its way into your computer is a good beginning. A computer virus is a small program designed to be hidden and run from within other programs such as a word processor or spreadsheet application. When the infected program is run, the virus code is also executed and carries out whatever instructions are programmed within it. This might be simply to replicate the virus over and over again, as was the case in the Robert Morris' Internet worm. It may be to simply send an annoying but relatively harmless message to the screen as does the April 1ST virus, or it may render all the data on your hard drive useless as in the case of the well known Michelangelo virus. Viruses can be passed from one computer to another via infected media such as floppy discs or via direct channels such as modem connections or networks.

At this point you may be starting to think about disconnecting your computer from the Internet and never exchanging data with the outside world again.

But the situation is not as bad as it may seem. First of all, should you receive a message similar to the "Penpal Greetings" above, relax. The only action you should take is to let the sender know they're spreading false information. Viruses can only be spread by running an infected program or booting from an infected disk. And, while viruses can be spread over the Internet via attachments to e-mail messages, it's impossible for your PC to become infected simply by opening and reading the email itself. In spite of their notorious reputations, viruses are responsible for much less data loss than other factors such as power outages, accidental file deletion or lack of good backup strategies.
Therefore, to ensure the safety of your data against viruses or other disasters, a few simple actions are all that's necessary. Most importantly, the value of a regular and consistent backup strategy cannot be overstressed. Most workplace network administrators do regular daily backups check with your system administrator to see if you have access to a directory on the server where you can keep your valuable data. That way the backup will be automatically done for you every time the network backup is run. Should a virus or some other misfortune damage your data, it can be restored from a backup tape. If you're operating a single PC at home there are still options open to you. Tape drives are available for stand-alone PC's as are convenient portable large volume media such as ZIP and JAZ drives. In a pinch you can still resort to your old friend the floppy disc, although with the size of data files growing every day, the 1.44MB floppy isn't as useful as it once was.

Another prudent step is the purchase and regular use of anti-virus software. When used and kept up-to-date, anti-virus software will find and eliminate the majority of known viruses. When you purchase anti-virus software usually at least a year of free updates are included. Not only do new viruses morph and appear, but the anti-virus applications change and develop to protect your PC from them, and monthly updates are the norm. These can usually be downloaded easily from the Internet websites of the company that produced the software.

In addition to backing up your data and using anti-virus software, some other common sense tips can be helpful. The majority of viruses are spread through unauthorized or "pirate" software, primarily games. Use only legitimate software of known origin and you'll avoid many problems. You'll also have access to technical support for your software - something that's not included with PirateWare. Be sure to scan downloaded shareware or freeware programs before running or installing them. Keep floppy disks write-protected as much as possible to prevent possible virus infection. Virus check any shared data diskettes before using the data contained on them.

Of course, one of the best ways to arm yourself with information about viruses (or nearly anything else, for that matter) is search the Web.
A few virus related sites which may be of interest are listed below. Many other related links can be found on these sites as well:

http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACVirusDatabase.html (CIAC Virus Database) The official government virus information site. Real virus alerts will usually come from the CIAC, not Microsoft or IBM or some other commercial entity.

http://www.kumite.com/myths Computer Virus Myths. Read about some of the well-known (and not so well-known) bogus virus alerts and chain letters.

http://www.microsoft.com/billgates/columns/1998Essay/3-25col.htm Bill Gates' thoughts on hoaxes - especially pertaining to one bearing his name

http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/virdb/VIRS0005.TXT A "Good Times" spoof too funny to be left out.

Protecting your PC against viruses, then, is a three pronged defense. Follow these common sense rules and the chances are you'll never suffer any serious damage from computer viruses:

1. be aware of what viruses are, what they can do and how they can be spread.

2. reduce the chances of contracting a virus by using only legitimate software of known origin. Run anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date. Scan any downloaded shareware or freeware and any shared data disks before use.

3. reduce the potential for damage from viruses (and other problems) by utilizing a regular backup strategy