- Do not open any files attached to an e-mail from an
unknown, suspicious or untrustworthy source.
- Do not open any files attached to an e-mail unless you
know what it is even if it appears to come from a friend
or someone you know. Some viruses replicate themselves
and spread through e-mail without the sender being aware
that he/she is spreading a virus. Better be safe than
sorry and confirm with the sender that he/she intentioned
to send you an attachment.
- Do not open any files attached to an e-mail if the
subject line is questionable or unexpected. Confirm the
nature of the file with the sender before saving the file
to your hard drive.
- Delete chain emails and junk e-mail. Do not forward or
reply to any to them.
- Exercise caution when downloading files from the
Internet. Ensure that the source is a legitimate and
reputable one. Verify that an anti-virus program checks
the files on the download site.
- Update your anti-virus software regularly. Over 500
viruses are discovered each month and you want to be
protected.
- Back up your files on a regular basis. If a virus
destroys your files, at least you can recover them from
your back-up copy. You should store your backup copy in a
separate location from your work files, one that is
preferably not on your computer.
- When in doubt, always err on the side of caution and
do not open, download, or execute any files or e-mail
attachments. Not executing is the more important of these
caveats. Check with your product vendors for updates
which include those for your operating system, web
browser, and e-mail. One example is the security site
section of Microsoft located at http://www.microsoft.com/security.
- If you are in doubt about any virus related situation you find yourself in, call the IT Services TechSquad at (414) 288-7799 to seek assistance or report a virus.