Viruses, worm, trojans, and other assorted malicious code (hereafter referred to as simply "viruses") have plagued the Internet almost since the first day the Internet went online. For some reason, a group of malcontents have made it their life's work to tear down the global network that has contributed to the advancement of civilization.

Although viruses are nothing more than one's and zero's--as is every bit of code written for computers--they still bear an eerie resemblance to their biological counterparts. The only purpose a virus knows is to replicate and infect another machine. That is, the only reason a virus exists is to create more viruses. This can cause a great deal of damage to a user's computer as the virus "hijacks" the machine for its own purposes. This is almost identical to a biological virus hijacking the genetic code of a human cell.

IT is committed to protecting the campus network from malicious code. We want all of our customers to have a safe and enjoyable computing experience while studying or working at Missouri S&T. The IT Security team and the Campus Network Security Task Force are charged with keeping the University network secure.

Although computer viruses are widely prevalent in the world today and new ones are emerging all the time, there are still some simple common-sense procedures you can take to prevent the spread of viruses.

• Regularly update your operating system if using Windows XP.Since many viruses attack known vulnerabilities in the Windows XP operating system, you should regularly visit windowsupdate.com in order to obtain the latest patches for your system. This will help keep non-email viruses from infecting your system (e.g. Sasser, Blaster, Korgo, etc.). The release of Windows XP Service Pack 2 (August 2004) is also designed to improve the overall security of the Windows XP operating system. Older versions of Windows are not as vulnerable, but should also be kept up to date since they could "carry" viruses and potentially infect other vulnerable machines.
  
  
• Do not open any email attachmentsfrom an unknown, untrustworthy, or otherwise suspicious source. Email viruses love to hide in attachments. The worst viruses are those that seem to come from someone you know. If there is any doubt as to the authenticity of an attachment, contact the sender and confirm that the attachment is legitimate.
  
  
• Do not open any email attachmentsunless you know what it is. Many viruses can spoof the file type, appearing to be a benevolent text file or image. Again, contact the sender to verify the attachment if you are the least bit suspicious.
  
  
• Do not open any email attachmentsif the subject line is suspicious or questionable. Many viruses try to entice users into opening the attachment by promising free stuff. One particularly nasty trick is to threaten the user that their email account will be terminated unless they open the attachment for instructions on how to prevent that. When the user opens the attachment, the virus is free to rampage through their machine.
  
  
• Delete chain mails and junk email.Do not forward or reply to any of them. This type of mail is considered spam (unsolicited commercial email). If you can, you should use a spam filtering tool to cut down on the amount of spam that you receive. IT uses SpamAssassin.
  
  
• Do not download any files from strangers.Would you take candy from a stranger? Again, many viruses pretend to be something benevolent or of value to the user, such as instructions on how to win a free car. Be wary of too many free offers. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
  
  
• Exercise cautionwhen downloading files from the Internet. Ensure that the source of the download is legitimate and reputable one. If possible, verify that the file has been checked by an anti-virus program before downloading. If you have any doubts about the source, do not download the file at all or at least download the file to a floppy disk and run the file through your own up-to-date anti-virus program.
  
  
• Keep your anti-virus software up-to-date.Hundreds of new viruses are discovered every month. You should update your anti-virus software at least once a week, if not every day. Missouri S&T IT offers its students, faculty and staff free access to McAfee VirusScan for as long as they remain at Missouri S&T.
  
  
• Back up your files on a regular basis.If your files are destroyed by a virus, you will at least be able to replace them from the backup. IT backs up its customer accounts every night, so no customer ever loses more than 24 hours of data (if they save their information to the network). You should save a backup copy in a separate location from your working files, preferably not on your computer.
  
  
• When in doubt, err on the side of caution. Do not open, download, or execute any file that you are unfamiliar with. It is extremely important that you do not execute a strange file unless you are absolutely sure what it does.
  
  
• If you are at any time uncertain about a file that you have received under suspicious circumstances, then please contact a professional for assistance. Anti-virus vendors have Web sites that you can consult about the latest virus threats roaming the Internet. You can also contact the IT Help Desk 341-HELP or submit a Help Request at  help.mst.edu for assistance if you are a university student, faculty or staff member.
  
  

Anti-Virus Vendors:

• McAfee Web Site
  • Download McAfee VirusScan (university students, faculty and staff only)
• Symantec (Norton Antivirus)