Prevention
Here are the key steps for preventing Valentine from breaking your PC's heart:
- Download Microsoft's Outlook Security Patch.
- "Don't open attachments!" One way to prevent virus infections is not to open attachments, especially when viruses such as Valentine are being actively circulated. Even if the e-mail is from a known source, be careful. A few viruses take the mailing lists from an infected computer and send out new messages with its destructive payload attached. Always scan the attached files first for viruses. Unless it's a file or an image you are expecting, delete it.
- Stay informed. Did you know that there are virus and security alerts almost every day? Keep up-to-date on breaking viruses and solutions.
- Get protected. If you don't already have virus protection software on your machine, you should.
- Scan your system regularly. If you're just loading anti-virus software for the first time, it's a good idea to let it scan your entire system. It's better to start with your PC clean and free of virus problems. Often the anti-virus program can be set to scan each time the computer is rebooted or on a periodic schedule. Some will scan in the background while you are connected to the Internet. Make it a regular habit to scan for viruses.
- Update your anti-virus software. Now that you have virus protection software installed, make sure it's up-to-date. Some anti-virus protection programs have a feature that will automatically link to the Internet and add new virus detection code whenever the software vendor discovers a new threat.
