Sometimes viruses are simply a hassle and time-consumer. In the worst cases they can mean a total reinstallation of your operating system—and sometimes damage to your hardware. With the recent spate of virus threats, it’s a good time to revisit your company’s virus and malware protection. While the only absolute defense is to totally unplug from the Internet, here are some tips that can lessen the odds of infection.
Delete unknown e-mails:
Seems like a no-brainer, but people who make a career out of spreading viruses have become pretty sophisticated in disguising the e-mails they send. Bottom line: Delete all e-mails from unknown sources, and never download or open an attachment unless you are sure it’s from someone you know.
Update your software:
Keep all of your software up-to-date, especially your Windows operating system. Keep Automated Updates turned on to download and install updates automatically. The Launch Pad’s Business Care clients have this taken are of as part of our program. In fact, if a virus definition is out of date or an infection is detected, a ticket is automatically generated out of our system.
Only install software from trusted sources:
Stay away from downloads from unknown sites. If you are asked to install other programs to ensure another piece of software works, stop and do a bit more research. In many cases, additional programs contain spyware.
Run virus scans habitually:
Set up a schedule for your computer to run anti-virus software. Do scans late at night or whenever you don’t use your computer, as it will run slower. Everyday scans are best, but at the very least do it once a week. In a server-based environment, your system administrator should have this set up on the server’s corporate antivirus.
Back up your drives and have restore points enabled on desktops:
For remote stations or home PCs where data is not backed up by the server, CD-writers make it easy and relatively cheap to back-up your hard drives. Of course all servers should be completely backed up, preferable with multiple restore points during each day.
Activate your firewall:
A firewall limits the ports on your network that are open to the public, so having one in place is critical. If you use a wireless router, make sure it has a built-in firewall. In a business environment, a business-class firewall such as Cisco or SonicWall should be used.
Lock your wireless network:
Wireless routers usually have no security settings in place when you install them. You must log in and at the very least establish a basic, password-required security setting to prevent others from gaining access to your network.
Steer clear of P2P file sharing:
Some people with savvy tech skills can download P2P files without incident, but if you aren’t careful you might end up downloading a file with a keystroke logger attached. Keystroke loggers can transfer anything you type on your computer to another computer, and are difficult to detect without a quality anti-virus or anti-spyware program in place.
Stay away from trashy Web sites:
There’s no other way to say it. If you look at trashy Web sites, you will get a virus or spyware, period.
Install software that takes snapshots of your system:
Regular snapshots of your system can help you analyze for infected files or changes in your system or drivers. It’s also a helpful tool to recall and recover all of your files in the event of a crash. On servers this is especially important. An example of this would be The Launch Pad’s managed backup and disaster recovery solution. It provides onsite and offsite backups of each server every 15 minutes and the complete server image or system state can be restored at any time if needed.
