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:: Virus Protection and Security - Introduction
A definition of a computer virus:
"Virus: n. [from the obvious analogy with biological viruses]
A cracker program that searches out other programs and infects'
them by embedding a copy of itself in them, so that they become
Trojan horses. When these programs are executed, the embedded
virus is executed too, thus propagating the 'infection'. This
normally happens invisibly to the user. Unlike a worm, a virus
cannot infect other computers without assistance. It is propagated
by vectors such as humans trading programs with their friends.
The virus may do nothing but propagate itself and then allow the
program to run normally. Usually, however, after propagating silently
for a while, it starts doing things like writing cute messages
on the terminal or playing strange tricks with the display. Many
nasty viruses, written by particularly perversely minded crackers,
do irreversible damage, like deleting all the user's files."
Whilst this appears fairly confusing, it can be broken down into
a fairly simple description: "a computer program designed
to cause harm to your existing computer files, and that readily
spreads through human involvement".
Most viruses these days are spread (copied from one computer
to another) via email initially, but may then continue to spread
via networks without further intervention. More recently computer
'worms' have been developed, computer programs designed to spread
using weaknesses in existing computer software (Microsoft Windows
for example) without needing human input.
The most damaging effect of viruses to business is lost time,
and in extreme cases, lost data. This can all be prevented by:
- Staff Education - Without doubt most viruses can be stopped
just by a staff member thinking and acting accordingly when
receiving dubious emails. This is the easiest and cheapest way
to reduce virus problems, but most commonly overlooked.
- Anti-Virus Software - Software designed to detect viruses,
stop them being run and copied and deleting them from otherwise
legitimate files.
- Keeping Anti-Virus Software Current - Once you've got the
software, you must continue to keep it updated,
ideally on a daily or weekly basis to ensure it's able to detect
new viruses as they are discovered.
- By using a Firewall wherever your staff connect to the internet.
A firewall can be a hardware device, or a piece of software,
and is designed to stop the worm type viruses from infecting
your network.
- Our skills and experience
Compology doesn't just supply anti-virus software and leave you
install it. We ensure that it's properly installed and working
(we test it, we do not just assume it's working), make sure it
is able to self-update and we can remotely access your network
to monitor that it's working correctly. We can also teach you
good practice on how to avoid being infected by email viruses,
and how to react should a virus infection happen on your network.
Firewalling is an important part of your overall network defence
strategy, and often overlooked. As broadband becomes more prevalent,
a firewall becomes an absolute necessity for your network and
these are available at reasonable cost. We're experienced in installing
these devices, and importantly configuring them correctly so that
you can still permit staff into your network from outside whilst
still keeping the bad guys out.
- How viruses can affect your business
Viruses are costing business millions of pounds every year due
to time that computers are unavailable as a result of infections
on office networks. Invariably, the costs associated with providing
correct protection are a fraction of the clean up costs for businesses
not prepared to make the investment in a proper anti-virus and
firewalling security strategy for their office IT infrastructure.
Note 1. This requires a broadband connection or
dedicated telephone line. |
