Working Smart with Priority Management

10 BEST PRACTICES FOR AVOIDING COMPUTER VIRUSES

The average internet user is currently receiving almost two hundred emails each week, an increase of 60% in a single year. Almost seven-in-ten of these emails are spam*. That amounts to almost 7,000 junk emails each year. You can guarantee that along with all this junk comes a good number of computer viruses-many of which can cause havoc to your computer and network. By taking the following precautions, you can help reduce the risk of your computer being infected by a virus:

1. Keep your computer updated with the latest critical updates and security patches. The easiest way to do this is to visit an appropriate security site, which guides you on using an Internet firewall, updating your Microsoft Windows® operating system and by using up-to-date antivirus software.

2. Download files only from trusted sites. When downloading a file from a Web site, be sure you know the source! You should try to download files only from known, well-established companies. When in doubt, don't download the file. As an extra precaution, you can download files onto a disk separate from your hard disk, such as a floppy disk or a zip disk, and then scan the files with your virus scanner.

3. Install only from authentic CDs. In general, installing software from authentic, commercially distributed CDs is the safest method. For example, many CDs have holograms to prove their authenticity. Let your children know that it is UNSAFE (and illegal) to borrow CDs of dubious pedigree and play them on your/the family computer. It will cost a lot more than the price of a CD to fix the problem!

4. Don't open suspicious e-mail messages or files. Believe it or not but 35% of online users say they have actually opened a SPAM email in the past week!* You just don't want to give spammers (people who send junk or unwanted e-mail messages) a chance. In Microsoft Office Outlook® 2003, you can filter your Inbox and send suspicious messages to your Junk E-mail folder. In Lotus you can also create rules and "agents" to filter your inbox.

5. If you use Microsoft Office then keep up with the latest critical updates. Make sure to visit the Office update site to download the latest critical patches and enhancements for free. Upgrading to the latest version of Office ensures that you have the latest security features.

6. Install and run antivirus software. Install an antivirus software program from a well-known, reputable company, and run it as recommended by the provider. If the program has an automatic virus-scanning feature, keep it turned on. Remember that new viruses can be released every single day. Therefore, if the product has an auto-update feature, you should use it to help protect your computer from the latest viruses.

7. Find out whether or not you really have a virus. Viruses often run without your knowing. However, if your computer is acting strangely or one of your programs is not working correctly, this does not necessarily mean that your computer has a virus. Being aware of specific symptoms that a particular virus causes is key. Click here for a library of virii and their characteristics.

http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/

8. If you use Office, check the Microsoft Security Bulletins regularly. An up-to-date list of security issues affecting Microsoft products is available on the Microsoft Security Bulletins web site. This site provides technical information about specific security issues that affect specific products. If you don't want to remember to check the site regularly, you can subscribe to get security bulletin e-mail notifications for free that let you know about important security updates from Microsoft. In the past, hackers have attempted to mimic these notifications to send bogus information. However, it is not difficult to tell whether or not a Microsoft security-related message is genuine, because: Authentic Microsoft security bulletin notifications never include software updates as attachments. Instead, they always link to the update on the Microsoft.com Web site. Authentic Microsoft security bulletin notifications are always digitally signed.

9. Back up data regularly. If a virus erases or corrupts files on your hard disk, a recent backup may be the only way to recover your data. Back up your entire system regularly. At the minimum, back up files that you can't afford to lose, such as documents, pictures, favorite links, address books, and important e-mail messages. If you use Office you can get details on backing up your specific program's data, by searching Office Online. You can also use the Backup or Restore Wizard in Microsoft Windows XP to back up your data. In Windows XP, on the Start menu, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Backup. Follow the instructions in the Backup or Restore Wizard.

10. Use the default security settings in Office. Office 2003 is the most secure version of Office yet released. It has safeguards in place to help protect your programs and data from viruses. Microsoft recommends that you do not change the Office default settings to lower security settings.

Priority Management offers several workshops designed to help develop the skills you need to manage your inbox and email.

Go to these links to learn more:

*Ipsos Research 2004