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February, 2004

For years we've all known (or at least been told) that we 'should' have virus protection on our computers. For many people that meant that if the computer came with bundled virus protection when they bought it, that meant they were protected and they didn't give it a second thought. For others, the process included going out and purchasing whatever their friends or the salesman at Computer Behemoth recommended. After the purchase and subsequent installation they thought no more about it. They were protected and that was all they needed to know. Most of these people think if they don't open email from someone they don't know, they don't need virus protection, because that's the only way they will become a Virus Statistic.

Not one of these groups of people is even remotely protected - period. Why? Several reasons.
First, an Anti-Virus product is only as good as its most recent 'definitions.' What does that mean? Virus definitions are the list of viruses the computer 'knows about' and is able to protect you against. The current list of known viruses is in excess of 77,000. When a new virus is discovered (daily) the Anti-Virus manufacturers release updated definitions to protect their customers against it. Your Anti-Virus product is only able to protect you against viruses in its definition table, so if you bought a computer a year ago and the 'trial version' of the Anti-Virus package installed in your computer only updated itself for 90 days and then 'barked' at you to re-subscribe to get new definitions (and you ignored it) - any virus written since then has free reign on your computer.

I can't begin to count the number of computers we see on a monthly basis infected with a wide variety of viruses - solely because the virus subscription had expired months (or years) ago - or even 10 days ago - and our client was oblivious to the hazards of that lapse.

Additionally, not all Anti-Virus products are created equal. Opinions abound regarding which product is 'best.' You should consult a professional regarding your decision and even then, do some personal research. I advise ignoring magazine reviews, as I have yet to read a review that said 'product x sucks' - when in our professional experience we can definitely tell you which ones do 'suck.' Have you ever noticed that the same products reviewed in the magazines also advertise in the same publication? Think that might have some bearing on the veracity of the reviews? I'm not pointing any fingers here, just raising the question…

Another factor affecting the performance of your Anti-Virus product is the configuration of the system after installation. Not all products are properly configured for maximum protection 'out of the box.' In other words, if you don't open up the control panel and manually configure all the settings, you may not be adequately protected and one or more viruses may sneak through in spite of having the most recent definitions.

The email message that infects your computer with the latest virus may well come from someone you know. If a friend or relative gets the latest Mass Mailer Virus, it will send itself to everyone in his/her address book and you will be one of the recipients! Congratulations! You've got Virus!

Lets assume you are aware of the importance of updating your Anti-Virus subscription and make sure your definitions stay current. You're thoroughly protected, right? You can operate your computer with impunity, safely surf the web and read emails, yes? Think again. Let's go back in time to August of 2003. Remember the Blaster Worm and how quickly it spread around the world? Were you one of the hundreds of thousands of Windows 2000 or Windows XP users clobbered by this nasty piece of code? The sheer speed with which some of the new viruses and worms are distributed makes it impossible to trust the protection of your computer entirely to a piece of software that could easily be 24 hours (or more) out of date with respect to the newest ill-behaved little cyber-bug.

To be even remotely secure you must not only keep your Anti-Virus subscription current, you must also occasionally launch your Anti-Virus control panel and verify that it is up-to-date. In the case of new, rapidly-spreading viruses, as soon as you hear about it (usually a News broadcast,) you should bring up the control panel and force it to update in order to implement the newest protection offered by your Anti-Virus vendor. This may not even be adequate in some cases, as the automated update mechanism may not get the current definitions and you may have to go directly to the manufacturers web site and manually download the newest update. Even this may not be enough to keep your from falling prey to the newest 'electronic flu.'

If you are in the majority and use some 'flavor' of the Windows Operating System as your computing platform, there are regular updates issued by Microsoft which address security issues and vulnerability to attacks from viruses, worms, trojans and cyber-terrorists (read brat next-door) and they need to be downloaded and installed as soon as they are released. Microsoft now produces monthly advisories on security updates and you can read all the gory details at http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/

As if all this were not frightening enough, now we have to worry about Spyware, Malware and Adware infecting our computers. Most of us have heard of Spyware by now, but don't think too much of it. After all, it's not like these are viruses or anything, are they? In point of fact, some of these products are as debilitating to your computer as a full-blown virus. In the case of Xupiter, for example, your computer is likely to be severely crippled - or even unbootable after this nasty piece of spyware is installed. We are currently seeing epidemic proportions of Hijackers in the systems we service. Symptoms of Hijacking include severely degraded performance, a new 'home page' that you cannot change and sluggish or non-existent Internet access. Removing some of these Hijackers can be incredibly time-consuming and expensive, as there are currently no automated removal tools and the work must be performed manually

Unlike viruses, Spyware is easier to protect against. It's really fairly simple: Just stay away from the websites you know you shouldn't 'visit.' I don't really have to explain this, do I? Spyware is placed on your computer via installation routines encountered on malicious websites. In some cases (Comet Cursor, Bonzi Buddy, Gator, Precision Time, Date Manager, Save Now, etc.) you will be presented with a dialog box asking your permission to install the product before infesting your computer - and the choice is up to you. Other times these pests are installed without your knowledge or consent - and your computer (and your privacy) is compromised. There are tools to remove most Spyware, and tools to protect against Spyware, but the best protection is Safe Computing, because all too frequently the 'cleaning' of a heavily-infested machine can be very expensive - and can occasionally require a complete reinstall of your Operating System.

Now that you're thoroughly afraid of turning on your computer, what can you do to protect yourself - to surf safely?
First of all, you need to understand there is no such thing as Safe Computing, as safety is defined as the 'absence of danger' - and we will not experience this in the foreseeable future. Safer Surfing is not only possible, but reasonable to expect with the following considerations:

1. You must take a position of responsibility with regards to the health of your computer. No single (or even multiple) software package can do this for you.

2. Be aware of computer attacks in the News. Stay informed and alert to hazards in cyberspace and protect yourself accordingly.

3. Never download a 'patch' or click on a link in an unsolicited email from Microsoft or anyone else that purports to be a 'fix' or 'update' for your computer. Microsoft never sends out unsolicited emails with 'fixes' and neither does anyone else who is reputable.

4. Never respond to an email request to update your account information from eBay, AOL, PayPal or a financial institution. They are trying to steal confidential information.

5. Implement a regular Spyware Scan. Ad-Aware is a good product to use, as is Pest Patrol. This should be a monthly or bi-monthly routine.

6. Check your virus protection regularly, especially when you hear of a new rapidly-spreading infection in the News.

7. Don't open email from unknown recipients. While this should be obvious, it's amazing how often this results in virus infections today. Additionally, if you get an email from someone you know with an attachment that looks 'unusual' (the name is document.zip, files.zip, Brittney.jpg or some other generic name) do not open it! Send an email to the author and ask if they intended to send you the attachment and ask what it contains first. This could save you from a major headache. We have seen a marked increase in virus infections as a result of exactly this scenario -- and this is not a situation you want to find yourself in. The Mydoom.F virus, for example, is distributed in this manner and will DELETE many -- or all your Microsoft Word documents, Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and image files -- and you will NOT GET THEM BACK without an uninfected backup!

8. Be suspicious. One of my favorite sayings is "Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get me." Think about that for a minute. Being cynical can be incredibly valuable when it comes to protecting your computer. Not trusting anyone is not an altogether bad idea, as it will keep you from opening email that is suspicious and will also prevent you from following 'advice' from people who are not 'experts.' Cynicism will also prevent you from installing Spyware applications on your computer, so feel free to be a bit paranoid.

9. An annual check-up (or bi-annual in some cases) with your local Computer Wizard is good preventative maintenance. Anything currently lurking on your computer that doesn't belong there can be removed and your Anti-Virus status can be verified and updated as necessary. At the same time, any Spyware can be removed and you will know what you have 'acquired' since your last visit - and knowledge is definitely valuable when it comes to protecting your computer. If you know what you've been infected with you can avoid it in the future - or not - but at least the choice will be yours to make.

Warren Harris owns and operates The Computer Wizard in Plano, Texas