|
| RESOURCES |
| |
| THE CHRISTIAN
NETREPRENEUR |
Subscribe to our mailing list and download "How
Do I Get Started"and 2 otther gifts FREE. |
|
| MARKETPLACE |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Doing Business: The Virus-Free
Way
By Niyi Adeoshun
Most of you would have heard of
the devastating effects that viruses like Melissa, Michealangelo,
LoveBug etc. are having on computer data recently. Don't panic;
it is still possible to stay virus-free on-line and improve
the security of your computer.
What are viruses?
A virus is a program capable of
installing and propagating itself secretly. It does this by
clinging to a harmless program or hiding in the boot sector
or partition table of a disk. It can deliver a payload when
a condition it is designed to detect is met.
Apart from "normal" viruses, we
also have to contend with macro-viruses and vandals. Macro-viruses
run automatically when you open an infected document; existing
documents are then infected and other actions are carried out
without your knowledge.
Vandals on the other hand, (though
similar to viruses and macro-viruses, but they don't replicate)
can be programs, macros, cross-platform auto-run software etc.
Vandals can monitor for passwords, send e-mails and even buy
on-line. They can also compromise your secret encryption keys
allowing a stranger to prove he or she is you!
What makes us this vulnerable?
Most viruses attack Microsoft DOS and
Windows systems. DOS was never designed to be secure. Windows
- apart from Windows NT - has no significant security. Even
if you are using Windows 95/98 you can still protect yourself
against NET-associated viruses and vandals. Greater security
comes at a price though, and you are going to stop trusting
everyone.
12 Tips for Virus Protection
From the discovery of viruses till
now, a good Anti-virus program is still the best defence for
most people, even then, they are not perfect. Below
are 12 additional protection tips against viruses:
1. Install and use an anti-virus program
with heuristic capability (to look for unsociable activities
rather than programs).
2. Keep the program's signature up to
date.
3. Make regular back-ups
of your data files.
4. Only download files from the
original vendor sites.
5. Install a personal firewall
and block unneeded ports.
6. Ask for documents in formats that
can't carry viruses. Basic graphical files such as .jpeg, .pcx,
.gif, .png, & .bmp can't carry viruses as well as some text
files including .txt, .pdf, & .rtf. Files such as .htm,
.html, .exe, .xls, .doc, .dot, .wbk, .wpm, .ppm can carry viruses
and vandals but none of them can cause any problem until you
open them.
7. Turn off macro autorun in your
applications.
8. Use a viewer to read unsolicited
documents attached to e-mails.
9. Open (if you must) unsolicited webpages
sent as e-mail attachments using a viewer.
10. Increase your browser security
setting to exclude Java and ActiveX if necessary.
11. Be careful about installing
programs directly from websites - it may be better to first
download and scan them.
12. Always check the origin and
purpose of unsolicited programs.
About the author.... Niyi Adeoshun is
the administrator of http://www.nukanweb.com
and the editor of the Christian
NETrepreneur newsletter. Subscribe,
get a FREE eBook of the month at http://www.nukanweb.com/newsletter.htm
and get a chance to win a FREE email of banner advertisement. |
|
|
|
|
