SURVIVING THE INTERNET: How to Protect Yourself Against Computer Viruses and Worms.

Fast-spreading computer viruses and worms are wreaking havoc and forcing millions of users to rethink the way they use email and surf the Web. A pioneer in the field of Web-based learning speaks out on simple things users can do to protect their computers and make the Internet a safer place for everyone.

Santa Maria CA (PRWEB) August, 2003 -- Hundreds of new computer viruses are unleashed on the Internet every month. Some make headlines; most go unreported and simply make people miserable. Last year, 350,000 personal computers were destroyed by viruses and business lost a staggering ten billion dollars, says Richard De A'Morelli, a network administrator at Virtual University http://vu.org/

Many Internet users worry about viruses lurking in downloaded files and email. This fear has given rise to countless urban legends, says De A'Morelli. For instance, if you delete the "A" entries from your address book, an invading worm supposedly can't infect you. Brad, an electrician in San Diego, followed this tip after receiving an email from a friend. That evening, data started evaporating from his hard drive and the remaining people in his address book received a flood of email carrying the same worm that had infected his computer.

Much of the havoc caused by malicious code or "malware" could be avoided if users would take a few simple steps to secure their computers, De A'Morelli observed.

An Internet old-timer, De A'Morelli has been roaming cyberspace since 1980. "The Net was a much friendlier place back then," he recalls. "Nobody lost sleep over viruses. Email worms did not exist and neither did spam."

Today, De A'Morelli teaches Internet classes at Virtual University, which he helped establish in 1994. VU was one of the earliest sites built on the World Wide Web and the first trail blazing portal to offer online classes. He is now developing a new course on "Surviving the Internet" that he will teach later this Fall. The class will be offered free of charge as a public service to the Internet community.

According to De A'Morelli, worms and viruses can spread through the global computer network in a matter of hours. The most common methods of transmission are opening an infected email attachment, downloading files from the Internet, and browsing a webpage containing a malicious applet or script.

Once infected, symptoms can range from mild annoyances to major grief. The MSBlast worm that has made headlines recently causes computers to reboot every few minutes. A nastier virus might steal passwords, erase the hard drive or send email containing a virus to everyone in your address book. Some viruses can damage the BIOS chip on the computer's motherboard, rendering the machine unusable.

The most important step users can take to secure their computer is to install antivirus software, De A'Morelli explained. This software will detect and remove viruses from downloads and incoming email before any damage is done. An estimated 50-60 percent of all Internet users don't have antivirus protection installed, or their software is out-of-date, which is why viruses are able to spread so rapidly.

Antivirus products costs about $40 or about half that after rebates. Several firms offer free AV software for personal use, De A'Morelli noted. Grisoft offers its popular AVG Free Edition to home users at http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl7.php?ver=31

Once antivirus software is installed, keeping it up-to-date is a must, De A'Morelli said. Software firms publish frequent updates to protect users against emerging new viruses. Some products have a convenient Live Update feature that automatically updates the software while a user works on other tasks.

Many viruses spread through email, De A'Morelli explains. However, an email message that contains plain text only is safe and cannot infect a computer. The problem arises when an email comes with an attachment that contains a hidden virus. Opening the attachment can infect your computer instantly.

Virus writers go to great lengths to trick unsuspecting users into opening booby-trapped attachments and infecting themselves. Common ploys include sending out seemingly benign messages such as "Here's a free software program I know you'll love!" or "There was a problem processing your credit card order...please view the attached invoice for details."

De A'Morelli cautions: "Never open email attachments from untrusted sources. For that matter, don't open email attachments from anyone unless you have antivirus software installed and configured to scan incoming messages."

Besides antivirus software, users can take other steps to protect their computers. A firewall can provide crucial protection, especially for users with "always on" cable or DSL connections. A firewall sits between the user and the Internet, monitoring traffic and preventing hackers from breaking into unattended computers, De A'Morelli said.

Firewall software costs about the same as antivirus software, as low as $20 after rebates. Some companies offer basic firewalls free for personal use. Links to free and trial downloads of popular firewalls can be browsed at http://vu.org/help/avhelp.html#fwlinks

Do you really need a firewall? Find out how vulnerable your computer is by visiting the Shields Up! https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2 website. Maintained by security expert Steve Gibson, the site will perform a series of tests for glaring security holes on your computer. The service is free and simply requires clicking a few buttons.

De A'Morelli offers more helpful tips on other security concerns such as how to protect your confidential data using strong passwords and how to detect and remove spyware lurking on a computer. Spyware often gets installed without a user's knowledge when free, advertiser-supported software is downloaded from the Internet. The tutorial can be browsed at http://vu.org/help/avhelp.html

"Internet users need to realize that they're not at the mercy of hackers and viruses. They can take steps right now to protect their computers and help make the Internet a safer place for everyone," De A'Morelli said.

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