I would strongly recommend that all listers install and use virus
protection software, and once installed that you use the auto updating
feature regularly.
If you work in an office or networked environment, then ask your network
administrator if they have WAN-based virus protection. On ouw WAN, we use
a server based setup (ours is from Trend, but you pays your money and makes
your choice). This operates on all files flowing in and out of our server
system (and can pick up macros), but it is weak on email attachments (which
are handed slightly differently than files). If they don't have such
protection, be careful about transfering files from your office computer to
your home one.
At home, you can use a variety of software - some free and some you pay
for. I am currently using Computer Associates InnoculateIT personal
edition http://antivirus.cai.com/). It is reasonably fast, powerful and
FREE, and it has a very simple autodownload feature that runs daily to
update virus files. We have 3 computers on a small network and the kids
download all sorts of stuff and it has caught everything including email
attachments.
If you don't have virus protection on a wintel platform, then follow the
very sound advice offered by Jeff - see below: delete all files sent to
you, without clicking on them or opening them, that have the suffix
.exe .com .dll .dl .bin .drv and .doc
Tony Gordon
At 02:35 4/1/00 -0700, you wrote:
>Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 07:42:30 -0800
>From: "Jeff McNeal" <jmcneal@ohms.com>
>Subject: Re: Virus warning (yeah I know, but this ones real)
>
>I have a standing policy to completely destroy any attachments that arrive
>unsolicited, no matter WHO they're from. That goes for .exe and .doc files
>especially. I delete 'em, the delete 'em from the delete folder. I've
>avoided about 3 confirmed viruses in the past year this way.
>
>Best wishes,
>
>Jeff in San Diego
|