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Can my computer be ill? There are a lot of reasons that computers can act sickly. Flawed software is probably the most common reason computers act funny. Many of the most common software applications (including Microsoft products and especially Windows) have some serious design flaws that cause them to do strange things at the most inopportune moment. However in today's age of the Internet, computer virus are becoming extremely common and unless you have up-to-date anti-viral software your computer is probably infected.

Miami Workers Center successfully "cured" their computer systems of a worm virus and then went on to organize successfully against a HUD proposal!

What is a virus? Definitely something you don't want! Computer Viruses generally come in three different varieties: virus, Trojan horse and worm. All will cause your computer to become ill.

• A virus is a program that attaches itself to, overwrites or otherwise replaces another program in order to reproduce itself without the knowledge of the PC user. Most viruses are comparatively harmless, and may be present for years with no noticeable effect. Some, however, may cause random damage to data files or attempt to destroy files and disks. Others cause unintended damage. Even benign viruses cause damage by occupying disk space and/or main memory, by using up CPU processing time, and by the time and expense wasted in detecting and removing them.
• A Trojan horse is a program intended to perform some covert and usually malicious act which the victim did not expect or want. It is similar to a virus, although Trojan horses are generally not self-propagating, like viruses or worms.
• A worm is a program that spreads (usually) over network connections. Unlike a virus, it does not attach itself to a host program, but exists as independent entity. Recent worms such as Melissa and ILOVEYOU spread by sending themselves via email to the victim's entire address book. Worms can spread very quickly and can cripple mail servers across the globe in less than 24 hours.

Viruses, Trojan horses, and worms are all often lumped together as "viruses" and anti-virus software typically offers protection against all three.

What are the steps I should take to "curing" my system? Always remember, Stay calm. Once detected, a virus will rarely cause damage, but a panic action might. Bear in mind that not every one who thinks s/he has a virus actually does. Reformatting your hard disk is almost certainly unnecessary and very probably won't kill the virus.

If you have a good anti-virus package, use it. If you don't have a package (common packages are Symantec Norton Antivirus and McAffee Antivirus), get one.

Follow the guidelines below as far as is practicable and applicable to your situation.

1. Quarantine the system! Do not attempt to continue to work with an infected system, or let other people do so. Users of infected machines should not under any circumstances trade disks with others or send and receive email until their systems and disks are cleaned. If the infected system is connected to a network, it should be logged off all remote machines. If you're not sure how to do this, contact whoever is responsible for the administration of the network. You should in any case ensure that the network administrator or other responsible and knowledgeable individual is fully aware of the situation.
2. Seek Treatment! Generally, it's considered preferable to switch an infected system off until a competent person can deal with it: don't allow other people to use it in the meantime. If possible, close down applications, Windows etc. properly rather than just hit the power switch.
3. Make sure you do not infect others! Ensure that all people in your office and anyone else at risk are aware of the situation. If you have the means of checking other office machines for infection, you should do so and take appropriate steps if an infection is found. If you are unable to check other machines, assume that all machines are infected and take all possible steps to avoid spreading infection any further. No files should be exchanged between machines by any means until it's established that this can be done safely. Get all floppy disks together for checking and check every one. This includes write-protected floppies and program master disks. Check all backups too (on tape or file servers as well as on floppy).

How can I keep my computer safe from viruses? Well, the best way would be to never turn it on. But given the fact that the reason you have a computer is to use it, that's a little silly. The other option would be to practice abstinence from exchanging electronic information with others and never connect to the Internet. OK, so now I'm sounding like a conservative preacher. There are important reasons to exchange electronic information and to connect to the Internet, so here are five basic rules that will help you practice "safe-computing."

• Use anti-virus software! Every computer in your organization should have up-to-date virus protection software that is regularly updated with new virus definitions. Run that software routinely. We suggest choosing a time, like Friday at 3pm, when the entire office runs its virus program and everyone takes a break from using their computers.
• Update your virus definitions routinely! Your anti-virus software is only as good as the virus definitions it uses to catch them. Virus definitions are what your anti-virus software uses to identify viruses. Since new viruses are created daily, it's important to have your virus definitions up to date. Most anti-virus software can be configured to automatically update virus definitions when you're connected to the Internet or at least to schedule a reminder to do so manually. It is essential that you update virus definitions at least once a month on all the machines in your organization. Given the recent volume of virus and worm attacks that are being spread over the Internet, updating virus definitions once a week will ensure quick detection and removal of viruses. Remember: if the virus infects your system before you download a virus definition for it, it is likely that your anti-viral program will be unable to detect and fix your system.
• Be very careful of email attachments. Many current viruses--including some extremely destructive ones--are spread via email attachments--often from people you know! (These viruses use folks' email address books to spread themselves.) You should never open an unexpected attachment. To be safe, you should save all attachments to disk, and scan them with anti-virus software before you open them. LINC advises having cheat sheets by every computer for user with suggestions on how to open email attachments free of viruses, how to quickly update your virus software, etc.
• Check all incoming floppy disks. Make sure that either your anti-virus software is configured to automatically scan floppies or that you manually do it before viewing their contents. Check your anti-viral programs help file or manual to check to see if it is configured properly.
• Perform regular backups. Backups will protect you from a variety of disasters, including viruses.

A word about anti-viral programs. If you use the Internet and/or exchange floppies with others, an up-to-date anti-viral program is a must, especially if you use Microsoft products, which tend to be particularly susceptible to viruses. Norton Anti-Virus and McAffee Anti-Virus are the two most common anti viral programs. These programs have auto-protect features, which means that the program will automatically turn-on with your system and monitor for viruses while you work. This means that it is constantly residing in your computer's memory and may significantly affect the performance of the computer. If you notice a severe decline in your system's speed you may want to check your auto-protect settings in your anti-viral program. Again, check your anti-viral programs help file or manual to check to see if it is configured properly.