St. David's United Church Internet Pages Here are links to the most critical information and FREE software and FREE scanning and FREE repair tools. Followed by some explanations and details on this bothersome subject. Using a computer without weekly updated antivirus is like driving without insurance,with very much worse odds - about 30% that you will lose your hard drive.
	Computer Viruses	Some notes and links to make the internet less formidable.

Best Sources of Information:

Here are the best places to check out any suspected virus. They are large databases that quickly search out by any name or phrase the suspected viruses. Commentary and history are given. Then you may check the real against the false. Just visit the sites below and enter the name or phrase of your concern into the search engines.

	Excellent and FREE AntiVirus Software. Click HERE
	Virus Hoax Information & DataBase. Click HERE
	This German product is FREE to private persons and non-profit organizations.
	HouseCall - a FREE virus scan of your computer over the internet. Click HERE
	Virus Hoax Information & DataBase. Click HERE. (The Trend AV product has an integrated firewall.)
	For additional information on Viruses and what they are and do, click HERE
	Virus Information & DataBase. Click HERE
	Virus Hoax Information & DataBase. Click HERE
	Many feel the Norton Antivirus folks at Symantec are the most rigorous.
	Virus Information & DataBase. Click HERE
	Virus Hoax Information & DataBase. Click HERE
	For additional information on Virus Detection and Prevention Tips, click HERE.
	FREE Firewall. Click HERE.
	This is NOT to stop virus, it is to stop hackers from controlling, using, hurting your computer.

Computer Viruses

Viruses are nasty little programs attached to legitimate programs and files that vary in their potential for damage to your computer. It is a necessary part of computers to have and maintain an anti-virus program. Each of the antivirus companys keep dozens of folks monitoring this situation worldwide and update their products every few days. You are strongly advised to keep current weekly. All the new programs can be set to automatically update - which is an excellent thing to do.

Most viruses now arrive by e-mail as attachments. Again, all the current programs monitor your incoming mail and will clean most viruses and warn to delete others. If you click on the attachment to see what it is, you will trigger the nasty virus program if there is one, and then it is too late. That is why it is so important not to open mail that looks suspicious. Fortunately, some common sense can protect you here. See the Safety Tips below.

Virus Hoaxes

There are a lot of viruses out there. But some aren't really out there at all. Virus hoaxes are more than mere annoyances, as they may lead some users to routinely ignore all virus warning messages, leaving them vulnerable to a genuine, destructive virus.

Ironically, the hoax achieves its nuisance purpose with your help. Their purpose is to get you to send lots of unecessary e-mail. It wastes a lot of time, but doesn't actually hurt anything.

Next time you receive an urgent virus warning message, be sure to check the free HOAX DATABASES listed above and check Please don't send everybody copies of the hoax. You may take some comfort in the vigilance of companies like those listed. They know within hours of any problem so check out your concerns at their sites.

Safety Tips:

• Never open a suspicious attachment. Do not open any files attached to an email from an unknown, suspicious or untrustworthy source.
• Even when a message is from someone you know, be wary. Many viruses fool computers into sending the virus & message to everyone in a computers address book. The message to you then appears to come from someone trustworthy and someone you know. The clue is found in the subject line. Is it something likely from such a source? Were you expecting something like that? If you are suspicious, leave the message unopened and mail your friend a new message asking if such a thing was sent on that date.
• Regard the subject line with care. Usually the subject lines of the troublesome ones talk about deals or jokes or warnings, and not the sort of business that you usually have, nor the descriptions of your own concerns. Even when they aren't viruses such are usually junk mail.
• Delete chain emails and junk email. Do not forward or reply to any to them. These types of email are considered spam, which is unsolicited, intrusive mail that clogs up the network.
• Exercise caution when downloading files from the Internet. Ensure that the source is a legitimate and reputable one. Verify that an anti-virus program checks the files on the download site. If you're uncertain, don't download the file at all or download the file to a floppy and test it with your own anti-virus software.
• Update your anti-virus software regularly. Over 200 viruses are discovered each month, so you'll want to be protected.
• Back up your most important files on a regular basis. If a virus destroys your files, at least you can replace them with your back-up copy. Ask a kid to help you do this - it's not easy.
• When in doubt, always err on the side of caution and do not open, download, or execute any files or email attachments.
• AND WHEN YOU SEND E-MAIL WITH ATTACHMENTS, say something true and useful to identify it as trustworthy and from you.
• AND WHEN YOU FORWARD A CUTE E-MAIL WITH ATTACHMENTS, over write in the subject line, something to identify it to your friends as legitimate.
  

Firewalls

Many people are now on telephone DSL or Cable Internet services. If the computer is turned on, it will be automatically on the internet. There is a new breed of mischief and mayhem that takes advantage of this open line. The so-called "hacker" is someone with computer knowledge sufficient to break into the low level security of your internet provider and control your machine from far away. Sometimes they are just curious, and leave graffiti behind, but more recently they are getting more serious. The destructive behaviours of hackers requires a lot of computer power and they harness hundreds of unsuspecting computers (perhaps your own) with secret programs to go out into the internet and damage or steal. So a "firewall" is another necessity. These are not expensive. A free one is listed above. Do it.

September 20, 2003