AntiVirus Software

(A solution for infection)

Until viruses can be eradicated at their sources--that is, until there comes a time when they are no longer written--users will need to protect their computers from viruses. Fortunately, safeguarding a system against viruses is not difficult, given a little knowledge and some handy utility software. The first thing you need to know is when your system is in danger of infection.

There are two common ways to pick up a virus:

1.Receiving a disk(a diskette, a CD created by someone with a CD-R system, a removable hard disk, and so on)from another user. In this case, the virus could be in the boot sector of the disk or in an executable file(a program) on the disk.

2.Downloading an executable file from another user, an online service, or the Internet.

Even programs purchased in shrink-wrapped packages from a reputable store have been known to harbor viruses. The best precaustion is to treat all disks as potential carriers of infection.

Checking for viruses requires Antivirus Software, which scans disks and programs for known viruses and eradicates them.

Most antivirus programs are easy to use. After it is installed on your system and activated, a good antivirus program checks for infected files automatically everytime you insert any kind of disk or use your modem to retrieve a file. A few antivirus programs can even scan files as you download them from the Internet and can instantly alert you when you download an infected file. Several excellent antivirus programs are available, and some are even free. Some Common antivirus programs are:

• McAfee VirusScan
• IBM AntiVirus
• Dr.Solomon's Anti-Virus
• Symantec Antivirus for the Macintosh
• Norton Antivirus
• Virex
• Disinfectant

Important Note!

New viruses are constantly appearing, so no programs can offer absolute protection against them all. However, virus utilities are constantly being updated to handle these new viruses. You can purchase subscriptions to receive the newest versions of the utilities automatically, or you can purchase the latest version every year or so. Some antivirus software vendors --such as McAfee, Symantec, and IBM--allow registered users to downloads updates to their programs over the Internet.