Anti-virus software is a must-have for all computer users. If you regularly surf the Web, use E-mail, or share files on diskette, it is important that you obtain an anti-virus software program to protect your computer from a malicious attack. Computer viruses are embedded in program files, documents, and E-mail attachments. The easiest and most common way for computer users to catch viruses is by opening downloaded programs or documents without scanning for viruses first. If your computer starts performing strangely for no apparent reason or if the computer will not boot, chances are good that it has been infected by a virus.

These days computer viruses receive a great deal of attention on the news so you will probably learn about the latest bug before it strikes you, but you always want to be prepared. Viruses can be very destructive infecting files and even crashing the computer. Regularly make backup copies of your files to avoid a real disaster.

There are many anti-virus software programs on the market but two of the most popular among general computer users and speech users alike are McAfee VirusScan and Norton AntiVirus. McAfee is easy to use and is thorough in detecting thousands of viruses. Norton AntiVirus automatically protects against viruses in Web content and scans incoming E-mail attachments. Your PC may have come with an anti-virus program already installed. If not, and you do have to choose a program, be sure that it can scan for viruses in compressed files. Many programs downloaded from the Internet are in a compressed format. To be on the safe side, scan your hard drive for viruses again after you have installed a program in case a bug escaped detection.

Never open an E-mail attachment without scanning it first for viruses even if you know the person who sent it and especially if you don't. Friends and family members who are not diligent about virus protection can unknowingly spread viruses to everyone in their address book. If you receive a suspicious message, delete it immediately from the inbox and empty the trash folder. You cannot be too careful. It may seem tedious to have to scan all files, but as anyone who has had to recover from damage caused by a computer virus can attest, it is well worth it!

New viruses are being launched almost daily and it is critical that you keep your anti-virus software up to date. Most vendors release updates on a monthly basis but some only as needed. Visit your vendor's Web site routinely to learn about the latest virus threats and to update your software.

For Further Information

McAfee.com is an excellent source of anti-virus information from the makers of McAfee anti-virus software. It includes a virus information library with details on over 50,000 known viruses and how to get rid of them, information on the latest virus news and hoaxes, and tips on how to prevent and detect viruses.

Symantec AntiVirus Research Center is an excellent source of anti-virus information from the makers of Norton Anti-virus software. It includes virus alerts, a virus info database (with complete explanations of viruses and hoaxes) and a reference area with links to other virus info sites.

HoaxBusters is a service from the U.S. Department of Energy Computer Incident Advisory Capability (CIAC). It addresses the various virus hoax messages on the Internet. In addition to describing the various Internet hoaxes and chain letters, the site discusses how to recognize hoaxes, how to deal with them, and provide some of the history of hoaxes on the Internet. You can search or browse by category or index.