Before we discuss virus protection, let's review preventative measures you should take when reading e-mail, reading newsgroup messages, or surfing the Web. The most-recent virus (worm*) infecting our systems is the KLEZ virus. The guidelines for recognizing and eliminating the KLEZ virus are the same as for all viruses, so we'll use the KLEZ virus as an example.

How do I deal with e-mail viruses? Look at the following message header from my Outlook Express:

Explanation of the colored arrows:

• The paper clip indicates this message has an attachment, so you should just assume it has a virus and treat it accordingly. See notes below on how to check attachments.
• The message is from someone I don't know, so I am going to delete this message without even reading it. You should never accept an e-mail with an attachment from an unknown person. However, some e-mail viruses send infected messages to entries in the Address Book of infected users so that message comes from a known person. Thus, if I receive an attachment from someone I know, I am still VERY careful. 
• The subject of an infected message is usually very enticing. You will see subjects such as "Congratulations!" and "You Have Been Selected." 
• The size of a KLEZ virus (worm*) message is about 120-130 KB. 

Because this message has an attachment, because it comes from someone I don't know, because the subject is somewhat enticing, and because the size is 121KB, I can almost guarantee you it contains the KLEZ virus. I will delete it without even opening it. 

Most viruses in attachments infect your computer when you try to open the file or attachment; but the nasty thing about the KLEZ virus (*worm) is that it infects your computer when you open the message itself. Most people have their preview pane open in Outlook Express (it is open by default). As such, OE is automatically opening the message when it appears it in the preview pane; and thus, it can automatically infect your computer.

PREVENTATIVE STEPS TO AVOID VIRUSES

STEP ONE: To prevent the spread of e-mail viruses, turn off your preview pane in Outlook Express. In the VIEW menu, select LAYOUT. On the Layout dialog box, remove the check from the Preview Pane.

STEP TWO: If you receive an e-mail with an attachment from an unknown user, delete the e-mail without even opening it. If you receive an e-mail with an attachment from a known user but you weren't expecting the e-mail, write a new message to that user and ask if they sent you an attachment. Don't open the e-mail or the attachment until you hear back from the user.

STEP THREE: When you DO open an e-mail with an attachment (even one from someone you know), you should assume it has a virus in it. Do not open the attachment directly from inside the e-mail. If you try to open an e-mail attachment with an automatic virus, you should receive the following message:

STEP FOUR: ALWAYS save the file to disk where you can check it for viruses rather than opening it. NEVER open a file that may contain a virus (and remember, we ALWAYS assume ALL files have viruses). If you have good virus software, it will check the file as you are saving it. Otherwise, after saving a file, RIGHT-CLICK on the file and choose "Scan with ..."  If the file has a virus, you will receive a message similar to this:

STEP FIVE: Update your virus protection on a weekly basis. Virus software comes with a list of all known viruses so it knows how to detect those known viruses, but the original list of known viruses is only good for the viruses known at the time the list was created. Many people buy a computer that comes with virus software, so they think they are permanently protected from all viruses. The KLEZ virus was not known just a couple of months ago. Thus, if you have not updated your virus software in a couple of months, your virus protection will not be able to detect KLEZ. New viruses and worms come out weekly, so it is IMPORTANT that you update your virus software WEEKLY. Have an active Internet connection and go to the Web site for your virus checking software. Follow the instructions for updating your particular version of the virus software. Some software can automatically update itself if you are connected to the Internet when it is scheduled to update.

VIRUS CHECKING SOFTWARE

A requirement of all students is to have adequate virus protection and to update that virus protection on a regular basis. Three popular virus-protection packages are:

• Norton's Anti-Virus Software from Symantec   
• McAfee's Anti-Virus Software
• Anti-Virus from Grisoft (AVG)

I prefer AVG because it is free and it does an excellent job of detecting viruses, including e-mail viruses. Regardless of which software you choose, you should update the virus software at least weekly.

*VIRUSES, WORMS, AND TROJAN HORSES

VIRUS: A standalone program or programming code embedded in another program. When activated, it replicates and infects other programs, boot sectors, documents that support macros, or partition sectors on your local computer. Most viruses do not do damage (but a few do).

WORM: A standalone program or programming code that copies itself automatically across disks or through e-mail. Most worms do damage and compromise the security of your system. KLEZ is a worm, not a virus; although, worms are generically referred to as viruses.

TROJAN HORSE: A standalone program or programming code that neither replicates nor copies itself. You must download a Trojan horse from the Web or have someone send it to you. It cannot e-mail itself to you as a worm can. It typically comes disguised as a joke or a useful program (hence the name, Trojan Horse). Many Trojan horses do damage.