Virus Protection: Are you safe from the latest virus? How can
you tell?A computer virus spreads faster than it's biological
counterpart, and there are new strains showing up every day. On
top of this, hoax virus warnings are broadcast across the net, sending
home and business users into a panic while they try to protect
themselves from a non-existent virus. They then pass along the
warning to all their friends, families and business associates, inadvertently
supporting what the author of the warning intended - flooding the net
with bogus e-mail.
While we can discuss at length the reasons people
have for writing a virus or a hoax warning, the fact is that many hours
are wasted in companies, both large and small, dealing with the virus
problem. In almost every company a virus program has been
installed and set up to scan disks and e-mail to prevent an
infection. Here are some questions to ask to help guide to keeping
your company free from a virus:
1. Is the virus software
current? The software "engine" that performs the scan
will be updated periodically.
2. Are the virus definitions up to
date? Most Anti-Virus software companies send out updates weekly.
3.
Is the software properly configured? It is important to have the
software actively scanning the e-mail as it arrives.
4. Are all
systems protected? Sometimes the servers have the virus scanning
software but workstations are missed - this is where a majority of virus
infections begin.
The
bottom line: