How do I avoid getting infected?
You
must be certain of BOTH the source AND content of each file you download or
email you open! While you are working and using your companies computer,
you should not be allowed to download and or install any software at
all without permission or assistance from Allen Enterprises or a designated and
trained employee of your company. In other words, you need to be sure that you
trust not only the person or file server that gave you the file, but also the
contents of the file itself.
Here are
some practical tips to avoid getting infected.
Free OFFERS are
not free. When you see a screen asking you permission to proceed, it is usually
an activeX control that is installing
software that you don’t’ really know what will do to your Computer.
DO NOT CLICK “YES” to any such screen.
(See
activeX controls later on this website, for an explanation of what an ActiveX
control is.)
1.
PopUp screens often ask you to
click on it to see a free promotion or to check your PC because it is not
functioning 100% correctly. DON’T CLICK ON SUCH A POPUP Window or
advertisement.
2.
NEVER download blindly from
people or sites which you aren't 100% sure about. In other words, as the old saying goes, don't accept
candy from strangers. If you do a lot of file downloading, it's often just a
matter of time before you fall victim to a trojan.
3.
Even if the file seems to come
from a friend, you still must be sure what the file is before opening it, because many trojans
will automatically try to spread themselves to friends in an email address book
or on an IRC channel. There is seldom reason for a friend to send you a file
that you didn't ask for. When in doubt, ask them first, and scan the attachment
with a fully updated anti-virus program.
4.
Beware of hidden file
extensions! Windows by default hides the
last extension of a file, so that innocuous-looking "susie.jpg" might
really be "susie.jpg.exe" - an executable trojan! To reduce the
chances of being tricked, unhide those
pesky extensions.
5.
NEVER use features in your
programs that automatically get or preview files. Those features may seem convenient, but they let anybody
send you anything which is extremely reckless. For example, never turn on
"auto DCC get" in mIRC, instead ALWAYS screen every single file you
get manually. Likewise, disable the preview mode in Outlook and other email
programs.
6.
Never blindly type commands
that others tell you to type, or go to web addresses mentioned by strangers, or
run pre-fabricated programs or scripts (not even popular ones). If you do so, you are
potentially trusting a stranger with control over your computer, which can lead
to trojan infection or other serious harm.
7.
Don't be lulled into a false
sense of security just because you run anti-virus programs. Those do not protect perfectly against many
viruses and trojans, even when fully up to date. Anti-virus programs should not
be your front line of security, but instead they serve as a backup in case
something sneaks onto your computer.
8.
Finally, don't download an
executable program just to "check it out" - if it's a trojan,
the first time you run it, you're already infected!
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