Virus Information
Computer viruses have existed in one form or another for over 20 years, and
they are not likely to disappear any time soon. The most common and best known
method of catching a virus is through e-mail attachments. E-mail viruses are
usually known as worms - computer viruses that send themselves to other
computers automatically. Because of this, even e-mails sent to you by family
and friends are suspect! Viruses are also passed from programs downloaded off the Internet. You should be suspicious of any program distributed from an untrustworthy source. Viruses can render your computer unusable, remove/alter system security (allowing others to access your data), and/or search for and delete your data and documents.
ITS uses and recommends a layered approach to protecting against
virus infections:
- All Lawrence University incoming and outgoing e-mail attachments are scanned
for known viruses. Each message is scanned and, if a virus is found, modified
to remove the virus and replace it with a warning message to the recipient.
- All Lawrence University-owned computers have anti-virus software installed and updated on a regular basis.
- Lawrence Univeristy file server systems have anti-virus software installed to prevent the spread of viruses on the servers.
- User education.
Prevent
Viruses | Anti-Virus Software | What
to do if you have a virus | Virus alerts and hoaxes | CommonName software
Suggestions
to help prevent the spread of viruses
- If you receive any e-mail with a file attachment that ends in ".exe", ".pif", ".vbs", ".scr" or ".com" (these are some of the higher risk items - see #2 below) DO NOT open the attachment. There is no valid reason for any mail user to send files like this via e-mail.
- BEFORE opening ANY file attachment, check if ALL of the following conditions are TRUE:
- The sender is someone you know and trust.
- You are expecting to receive an attachment from the sender in the near future.
- The attachment is NOT an executable file (SEE #1 above) - verify file type!
- Make sure you have updated anti-virus software installed and working correctly.
- Only send attachments when necessary. This reduces load on the e-mail system and reduces reliance on using e-mail for document sharing.
Faculty and staff: Most departments have a shared network space intended for documents to be accessed by one or more members of the department. Other shares exist, or can be created, to share documents between departments or with students. Whenever possible, save documents to a network shared space. Then, instead of e-mailing the document to your colleagues as an attachment, e-mail only the filename and location. Request share space.
- All computers should have anti-virus software. You may have heard that
this is not really necessary if you are careful or that it slows your computer
down. Not true! Current anti-virus software typically does not affect the
average user's efficiency at all.
All Lawrence University-owned computers have anti-virus software
installed and managed by ITS (if you find one that does
not, please
contact the Helpdesk).
- Do not forward any e-mail about a new virus threat or warning. Most of
these are simply hoaxes. By spreading the hoax you are helping to spread
misinformation and confusion. Use these messages as a reminder to yourself
to check your anti-virus software to make sure it is working correctly
and that it is up to date.
Anti-Virus Software Recommendations
All faculty, staff, and student personally-owned systems are required to have
anti-virus software installed and updated with current virus information. (Refer to the Privately Owned Computer Policy.)
Great news! A free anti-virus software program is currently available for students, faculty, and staff with Windows computers connected to the Lawrence University network. To install this anti-virus program, click here.
Many companies produce and sell anti-virus software. One of the most popular is Norton Antivirus, and an alternative is McAfee Antivirus. These sites offer downloadable demos of anti-virus software. Be advised that the demos are only good for viruses known at the time of the download. With the purchase of the full version of any anti-virus software, you receive updates (virus definitions) for new viruses for a limited time. You will have to pay a renewal fee, usually once a year, to continue receiving the updates. Having anti-virus software with outdated virus definitions is as good as not having any anti-virus software!
What
to do if you think you have a virus?
- Make sure your anti-virus software is the most recent version.
(If you are a faculty or staff member and the suspected virus is on your Lawrence-owned computer, contact ITS immediately.)
- Check our Virus and Hoax page for the
latest news about viruses.
- Scan your computer using current anti-virus software.
- After scanning the computer if you still suspect you have a virus, disconnect your computer from the network and contact ITS.
If you want to try removing the virus yourself, see our virus found page.
Additional Information
Virus alerts and hoaxes | CommonName software
