VirusesEvery e-mail user is at risk of receiving malicious software, popularly known as a "computer virus". Users of Microsoft Outlook are particularly vulnerable.
What are viruses?
They are tiny computer programs that "infect" other programs by modifying them to include a copy of themselves. Some viruses are innocuous, but others are malicious and can damage or delete computer files. They rarely do damage to computer hardware.
How are they transmitted?
Viruses do not infect the text of an e-mail message. There is no risk to reading or printing an e-mail message. They do infect attachments created by a word-processor (file names often end in ".doc" or ".wpf") if these files contain instruction code known as "macros". They also infect attached executable program files (file names often end with ".exe" or ".com").
Anti-Viral Software
Every personal computer should have an up-to-date anti-viral program installed. The most popular programs are from Norton, McAfee and Dr. Solomon. A common error is to install the program but never update it. Most programs allow the user to update the program over the Internet for one year after purchase. The Norton software is now able to automatically update itself whenever the user connects to the Internet.
Internet Service Providers
Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may scan incoming messages for viruses before they are passed to the user. Even if this is available, it is not a cure-all. Some versions of the recent "Badtrans" virus were able to get past our university's security system without being intercepted.
Self-mailing Viruses
Some viruses infect your e-mail program, then send false messages to names in your e-mail "address book". To make the message look legitimate, they may use words and phrases from a message stored in the "Sent" file of the infected program. Such messages may have a vague subject such as "In reference to your recent e-mail" or a subject that does not fit with the body of the message. Older versions of Microsoft Outlook are very vulnerable to this technique. Microsoft provides a free anti-viral upgrade on their website.
Hoaxes
If a message gives a dire warning about the latest "killer virus", and suggests that you notify all your friends, it is likely a hoax. These messages are usually just a time-waster, but a recent one suggested deleting a file that is actually part of the Windows operating system. Most anti-viral websites also contain descriptions of these hoaxes.
Practical Paranoia – Do's
- Update your anti-viral software regularly
- Save all attachments to your hard drive before opening them
- Do a virus scan on downloaded files before opening them
- Back up all your data files regularly
- Beware of e-mail messages with the priority set to "Highest"
- Beware of unexplained duplicate messages with the same subject
Practical Paranoia – Don'ts
- Open attachments from an unknown sender
- Open unexplained attachments – even from your mother
- Open attachments on forwarded messages
- Open attachments with multiple file name extensions (e.g. “kournikova.jpg.exe”)
- Open attachments if the file type and file name extension don't match
- Forward or reply to "chain mail" viral warning
Additional Resources
Norton Anti-Virus
This program was recently highly rated in PC Magazine; Website includes removal tools for many known viruses
Symantec Anti-Virus Research Centre (SARC)
Provides detailed information about known viruses
McAfee VirusScan
Software updates and information about known viruses, if you don't mind pop-up advertisements
Doctor Solomon's Virex
A popular anti-viral program for Macintosh computers
Microsoft
Anti-viral security patches for Outlook
PC Magazine
General virus information and software reviews; Search for the word "virus"
Yahoo Canada
General virus information; Search for the word "virus"
About.com
General virus information
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