What are viruses?
The term virus refers to software designed to maliciously interfere with the normal operation of a computer. Once a computer is infected, the virus will actively attempt to infect other computers. Viruses accomplish this in many ways. The most common ways are through fake e-mails with attachments containing the virus, searching networked computers for security holes (usually unsecure shared folders), and sending fake instant messages with links to the virus on the internet.
How do I get rid of it?
Virus Protection
A computer virus is functionally similar to an organic virus. It "infects" files by attaching itself to them, and reproduces by attaching itself to other files anytime the item is copied, moved or opened. A virus can do many different things, including modifying or deleting files on your computer, or causing a complete system failure. Most viruses do not do any damage; they simply spread themselves from computer to computer. However, there are many viruses that are malicious, and it is therefore very important to protect your computer from getting infected.
Contraction
Some of the most common modes of contracting a virus are:
It is important to note that although a computer may appear to be protected from viruses, new viruses are created every day. Unless the virus definitions are frequently updated, the computer may still be able to be infected by newer viruses.
Sharing and Viruses
Windows XP comes with automatically insecure shared folders. These folders, when exposed to a network, are highly susceptible to viruses. To close this security hole, go to the folder you are sharing and then go to the File menu. Select Properties. Click on the Permissions button. The only thing that should be checked is the Allow Read box. Uncheck any other options.
Email and Viruses
Another very important note: It is not possible to get a virus from a text based document, such as an e-mail. If you have received an e-mail warning you of a virus which is hidden inside a text only letter there is no virus hidden in the letter. These letters usually warn that if you open the letter, your hard drive will explode, or the virus will mail itself to everyone in your address book and make their hard drives explode. This is just a hoax. However, viruses can travel in e-mail attachments, so handle attachments with care. Do not open an attachment that is from a source you do not recognize. Wesleyan has an automated email scanner that will catch most viruses in attachments, but there is no substitute for caution.
Symptoms
The symptoms can vary immensely from virus to virus. The way that we often diagnose a virus is if the computer is acting very strange, and there seems to be no other explanation for it. If files start disappearing for no reason, you may have a virus. If your computer gives errors for missing files, you may have a virus. Other strange behaviors may also indicate that you have a virus, including system crashes (although a system crash can be caused by a number of other problems).
Some virus symptoms are easier to diagnose. If a paper gets page breaks throughout it for no apparent reason, you might have a virus. If your file won't save or print you might have a virus. If your Word file now has an icon with an arrow on it, that usually means it is infected.
The reason that it is hard to diagnose a virus is that the symptoms can almost all be reproduced by poorly configured hardware or software on your computer. The best defense is to assume that it is a virus first and take appropriate action. If there are no viruses found, then the problem is most likely something else.
How Do I Protect My Computer From Viruses
If you have a Mac:
If you have a PC: