Please Read

[Gryphin]

Background Information, (over simplified):
Not having anti virus protection is like not putting oil in your car. At some point your system is going to crash and you might take someone down with you.
Email viruses work by:
You receive an email with an attachment. Frequently this email is from someone you know and trust.
You double click it thinking it is a valid file
You have just activated the virus and you don't even know it.
The virus goes through your address book
Frequently it Takes a random name from your address book and places it on the From line
It then Sends an email with the infecting attachment to as many people on your list as possible. It arrives "From" the name it selected.
The most common virus of this nature is the, "Klez". There are many many Versions of it.
The current virus that is spreading is "Big Boss".
Eventually these viruses will do some form of damage including but not limited to leaving your system open for participation in Denial of Service attacks on another computer and eventually cleaning your hard drive.
I hope this helps folks.

[ January 20, 2003, 12:09: Message edited by: Gryphin ]

[dumbluck]

There are some free Anti-Virus programs out there. I don't know how they stack up to the big 2 though (Norton and McAfee)

[couslee]

somethings, you should not qualm about price. virus protection, and mayonaise are two. don't get free or generic of either one. it's just not worth it.

[geoschmo]

Although homemade mayonaise is quite good. Eggs, oil, and a few seconds with a stick blender, yumm.

Homemade virus protection though, that's probably harder.

Geoschmo

[Phoenix-D]

You receive an email with an attachment. Frequently this email is from someone you know and trust.
You double click it thinking it is a valid file"

I've been running without AV for quite a long time now. I install one and check for viruses every so often; only one has ever gotten to me, and -that- was an immediately obvious one. The usual virus trick doesn't work on me.

Tips for files:
1. if you aren't expecting a file, ASK. Viruses are quite sneaky and can spoof file names and even email names.

2. If you are running Windows, make sure to uncheck "hide file extensions" this on-by-default features causes more headcahes than it solves. Many viruses hide their package in things like Blah.jpg.exe. With hide file extensions on, you only see the first extension, so you think its an image file.

Phoenix-D

[Wardad]

You should not be on the internet without a firewall protection program.
My Norton Internet protection suite has caught many trojan horse download attempts. Some happened while logged on to PBW. It probably doesn't matter what site you log on to.
The Trojan horses are real bad news. They can give an outsider access to your system. They can get your financial information or maybe just enough information to pretend to be you. They could download a virus just for fun too.

[Andrés]

I don't think free antiviruses are that bad. And sure it's better to have a free one than nothing at all.
I can't spend much in an anti virus, and with our devaluated exchange rate anything made by a foreing develorper is too expensive. So it's either a free one, or a pirated Version of a comercial one.
I've been using AVG for some time, and I'm quite satisfied with the results.
For example yesterday it detected two Klez Messages in my inbox. (Not that I wouldn't have recognized them without it)

Anyway the antivirus is just the second line of defense, the first is being careful with any file you recive, download or get on your floppy drives.

BTW home made mayonaise is good when its fresh, and it's actually the exemption that confirms the rule that says homemade food, free of artifical flavors, colors and other additives is healthier.