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What is a
computer Virus? Computer viruses are software
programs deliberately designed to interfere with computer
operation, record, corrupt, or delete data, or spread
themselves to other computers and throughout the Internet,
often slowing things down and causing other problems in the
process.
Just as human viruses range in severity from the 24-hour
flu to the Ebola virus, computer viruses range from the
mildly annoying to the downright destructive, and come in
new and different forms. The good news is that with an ounce
of prevention and a little knowledge, you are less likely to
fall victim to viruses and you can diminish their impact.
How do viruses work?
Basic viruses typically require unwary computer users to
inadvertently share or send them. Some viruses that are more
sophisticated, such as worms, can replicate and send
themselves automatically to other computers by controlling
other software programs, such as an e-mail sharing
application. Certain viruses, called Trojans (named after
the fabled Trojan horse), can falsely appear as a beneficial
program to coax users into downloading them. Some Trojans
can even provide expected results while quietly damaging
your system or other networked computers at the same time.
Although it's good to be aware of these different types
of viruses and how they work, what is most important is that
you keep your computer current with the
latest updates and
antivirus tools, stay
current about recent threats, and that you follow a few
basic rules when surfing the Internet, downloading files,
and opening attachments. Once a virus is on your computer,
its type or the method it used to get there is not as
critical as removing it and preventing further infection.
What can I do to protect my computer?
1- Use common sense.
2- Do not open suspicious looking email.
3- Avoid porn sites.
4- Avoid programs such as AOL instant messenger, MSN
messenger etc..
5- Use a good anti virus program and keep it updated daily.
6- Scan your system at least 1 time a week.
What do we recommend?
Everyone at Micro Excell runs AVG
anti virus by Grisoft. They have a free version
that will work fine for your average home user. For
businesses they have a pro version that is very reasonable.
They also have Server versions and AVG with Firewall. All at
very competitive prices.
Some other good anti virus programs are:
* Trend Micro www.trendmicro.com
* Panda Software
www.pandasoftware.com
What do we not recommend?
Normally we work on 30-40
computers a week, 50% of those computers have major virus
and Spyware
problems. I would estimate that 80% of the computers that
are infected have either Mcafee or Norton anti-virus on
them.
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