Protection from Viruses

Computers do go wrong; it’s a fact of life. Although they are cutting edge technology, there will be times when programs and files won't work anymore, and drastic measures may be called for. There are also times when your computer may be attacked by files or programs from outside sources. These files or programs are called viruses, and if you get one on your computer, it becomes what is known as infected.

If your computer doesn’t have contact with the outside world, you don’t need to worry. If, however, you use floppy disks, CDs or DVDs that contain information (files and programs) from someone else’s machine (not a manufactured disk), connect directly to another computer (as part of a network), or have access to the Internet and Email, then your computer is at risk from viruses.

What is a virus?

Viruses are small programs that can either be self-contained or part of another program or file. They are written by people who get pleasure from annoying others by making the infected computers do things that their owners do not want to happen - anything from displaying an annoying message on the screen to wiping off information or making programs fail to respond. Here are a few tips on preventing your computer from becoming infected by one of these viruses.

1. Make sure that you have an anti-virus program on your computer. Anti-virus programs do what their name suggests. You put them onto your computer with the sole purpose of looking at files that come in and out of your computer to see if they have a virus attached to them. The program should always be turned on, and should be kept up to date with the latest information on new viruses. Anti-virus programs are updated over the Internet, and this is usually done automatically whenever the computer connects to the Internet.
2. When you send an Email message there is an option to attach a file or program to the message. These attachments can contain a virus, so when you receive an Email that has a file or program attached, only open it if is from a trusted source (someone you know), otherwise delete the whole message.
3. Only use disk (floppy disks, CDs, DVDs) from a trusted source, or original disks from a manufacturer, otherwise you may find that you’ve copied an infected file or program onto your computer.
4. Be very careful what you download from the Internet. Downloading is the term for copying programs and files from other computers using the Internet. Only download from web sites that belong to respectable companies and organisations.

Following these points will not guarantee that your computer will never suffer from viruses, but it will help. Even trusted sources can be a way of infection, as they may not be being as careful as you are in protecting their computers!