Resources & Services: Computing
General Virus Information
This page is a reference for preventing computer viruses and dealing with them once a computer is infected. It describes how to handle email attachments, how to get university anti-virus software, how to remove viruses from your computer, information and virus alerts, and other steps necessary to secure your system from computer viruses.
Index
Attachments
- Never download any attachments from someone you don't know.
- Never download any attachments unless you are expecting it and know what it is.
- Ask everyone who sends you files to do so in a safer form, RTF for word and CSV in excel.
- Disable all macros when opening the attached files (CAUP setup defaults to this setting).
- Even with up to the minute virus signatures with current anti-virus software, you are still in danger when accessing attachments.
Getting Anti-Virus Software
All CAUP machines that we set up recently have current anti-virus software installed, and the ability to get recent virus signatures automatically. Check with us on older machines, as we are still working through them to make them current.
On your presonal machines you should install anti-virus software on your desktop computer to protect it from viruses. McAfee's VirusScan (4.03) is recommended for the Windows environment and the latest version of Virex (5.9.1) for the Macintosh. Both of these products are included in the UW Internet Connectivity Kit (UWICK) online, or avaiable as a cd-rom at the University Book Store and its campus branches. The Software Guide's Site-Licensed Software Web site provides descriptions and downloading instructions for both VirusScan and Virex.
Removing Viruses
Not all damage to your programs and files is caused by viruses: worn out floppies, failing hard drives, user error, and poorly written programs can all cause you to loose data. If your computer is behaving strangely, or if you think your computer has a virus, use an anti-virus program to find out.
If your computer is infected with a virus, DON'T PANIC! Use an anti-virus program to remove the virus yourself, or turn your computer off and find someone who knows how to remove the virus.
If a virus is active in memory, it may prevent anti-virus programs from working correctly. To be sure no virus is active, turn off your computer and reboot from a known-clean system diskette before you begin the disinfection process.
Eliminate all copies of the virus as quickly as possible. Check all your diskettes, and warn anyone else who may have infected files or disks.
Outlook Express or Outlook
If you're on the windows platform we do not suggest or support using Outlook Express or Outlook as an email client. If you want to use an unsupported desktop email client we suggest using Netscape Communicator's email client as it is less prone to viruses, though it isn't as immune as Pine. If you wish to run Outlook Express or Outlook regardless please keep it updated with the current virus, macro, and security patches available from www.microsoft.com