Email Virus
The rule: Never open attachments (especially executable files)
without thoroughly scanning them.
Macro Virus
Unlike the other more popular virus, the macro virus affects documents,
not exactly programs. They are spread through the application's
own macro mechanism (or programming).
Executable Files
These are "self-activating" programs that can stand on
their own and start functioning when clicked. Most of the time they
have .exe, com, .sys, .dll extensions. These are the files that
can easily be corrupted by virus.
Fake Extensions
Watch out for attachments with "hidden" extensions. While
a .txt file is harmless, some of the files you receive may not be
actually .txt files. Sometimes a Visual Basic script can be hidden
in the form of a text file, for instance, what looks to be fake.txt
to you, may actually be a fake.txt.vbs virus.
FTP Sites
If an FTP site (which a lot of people use for downloading purposes)
is infected, it doesn't take a genius to tell that you can download
a virus directly from that site.
Protect Yourself
The following companies are well-known virus-busters. Remember to
update your anti-virus software every 2 weeks or so because a new
virus is being developed everyday!
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