Patrick Douglas Crispen wrote: > > [ Tip: Use a monospace font like Courier when reading this message ] > _________ ____________ ________ __________ _____________ ___ _ > / | / | | / | \ > | JOIN THE INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY PANEL / | \ > |__________|__________/__________|__________|___________/ | \ > / /______|----\ > | Answer Questions on Interesting Topics and |//////| | > | Win $$$ Prizes. Email: [log in to unmask] |//////| | > | Or <a href= "http://www.AdvisoryPanel.com" > Click!</a>|//////| | > \________________________________________________________|______|____| > / \ / \ / \ > \___/ \___/ T h e I n t e r n e t T o u r B u s \___/ > Free Subscription Info and Archives at http://www.TOURBUS.com > > TODAY'S TOURBUS STOP(S): Crispen's *Five* Anti-Virus Rules > > Howdy, y'all, and greetings from sunny Alabama! > > TOURBUS remains free thanks to the kind support of our sponsors. I > want to thank the folks at the "International Advisory Panel," > "Automation Consulting and Supply, Inc.," and "Golden Palace" for > making today's post possible. As always, please visit our wonderful > sponsors and thank them for keeping the bus rolling! > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > **** Inkjet Printer Users Save Money **** > > Refill your existing cartridges with high quality low-cost bulk ink! > Black ink: $21.95 / 450 ml. Color inks: $23.95/pint. Photo inks, too. > More Info: <http://www.oddparts.com/ink> or 1-888-728-2465 tollfree. > FAX: +1-770-972-7923 or EMAIL: <mailto:[log in to unmask]> > Moneyback Guarantee. ACSI Bulk Inks. Mention Tourbus & save $5 S/H > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > +---------------- GOLDEN PALACE ONLINE CASINO ----------------------+ > We offer the very finest in casino gaming. Fully regulated > and licensed with 28 games! Play for FUN or WIN REAL $$$. > It's SAFE, it's FUN & it's EXCITING! > Let luck be a lady... tonight! Click Here Now: > +--------- http://www.goldenpalace.com/indextourbus.html -----------+ > > On with the show ... > > ------------------------------ > Crispen's Five Antivirus Rules > ------------------------------ > > In light of the recent Melissa and WormExplore.Zip virus outbreaks, I > decided to rewrite my rules on how to protect yourself from computer > viruses, Trojan horses, or worms. Regardless of your operating > system, these five rules will protect you from most of the over FORTY > THOUSAND viruses that are currently floating around the Net. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > 1. PURCHASE A GOOD, COMMERCIAL ANTIVIRUS PROGRAM LIKE NORTON > ANTIVIRUS OR MCAFEE VIRUSSCAN. > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Most commercial antivurus programs usually cost between US$40 > and US$50 and can be purchased at almost any computer store in > the world. [You can usually save about US$10 if you purchase > the software online -- visit http://www.shopper.com/ for more > information]. > > Antivirus program manufacturers also release minor upgrades > every two to three months and major upgrades every twelve to > eighteen months. YOU NEED THESE UPGRADES. Minor upgrades are > usually free, and major upgrades usually cost anywhere between > US$20 and US$40, depending on the manufacturer [think of this > as an expected expense -- just as you have to change your > car's oil every 3,000 miles, you have to upgrade your > antivirus software every year to year-and-a-half]. > > To see if any minor or major upgrades are available for your > antivirus program, visit your antivirus program manufacturer's > homepage. A list of antivirus manufacturers' homepages can be > found at http://www.yahoo.com/ or at AOL keyword "virus." > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > 2. UPDATE YOUR VIRUS DEFINITIONS FREQUENTLY (AT LEAST ONCE A > WEEK). > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > With over 250 new viruses being discovered each week, if you > don't update your definitions frequently you won't be > protected from ANY of the new viruses floating around the Net. > > How do you update your virus definitions? That depends on > the antivirus program you use. Norton Antivirus has a "Live > Update" button built into the program; click on it, and Norton > automatically downloads and installs the latest virus > definitions from Net. McAfee VirusScan has a similar update > function (go to File --> Update VirusScan). > > If you are unsure of how to update your virus definitions, > visit the homepage of your antivirus software manufacturer and > look for their "download," "update," or "technical support" > section. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > 3. NEVER DOUBLE-CLICK (OR LAUNCH) *ANY* FILE, ESPECIALLY AN EMAIL > ATTACHMENT, REGARDLESS OF WHO THE FILE IS FROM, UNTIL YOU > FIRST SCAN THAT FILE WITH YOUR ANTIVIRUS PROGRAM. > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > This is probably the most important rule of them all. There > are currently over forty thousand viruses out there, there are > over 2.8 trillion possible files names out there, and any one > of those viruses could be hiding in any one of those file > names. A lot of people think that you can protect yourself > from a computer virus by being on the lookout for one > particular virus or one particular file name (hence all of the > virus warnings you have received in your email inbox lately). > That's not only silly, that's dangerous. If you want to > protect your computer from viruses, you need to ignore ALL of > the virus warnings you receive and instead beware of EVERY > file you see, especially every file that is attached to an > email message. > > It is important to note that, despite all of the warnings to > the contrary, there is no such thing as an email virus. You > can open your emails, regardless of their subject lines, > without fear of infecting your computer, provided your email > program doesn't automatically open attachments (most don't) . > It is the files that are ATTACHED to emails that you have to > fear. > > Think of a computer virus as a well-packaged letter bomb. You > can move a letter bomb from room to room in your house without > any danger. Open the letter bomb, however, and you die. The > same is true with computer viruses. You could download a > billion virus-infected files from the Internet and receive > another billion virus-infected files attached to email > messages and your computer still wouldn't be infected with a > virus. Open just ONE of those files, though, and your > computer is dead. Remember, to infect your computer with a > virus, you have to launch (or double-click on) a file that > contains a virus. As long as you don't launch that file, you > really have nothing to fear. > > How can you scan a file for viruses? It depends on the > antivirus program you use. The best bet is to read your > antivirus program's instructions or read their online help > section. If you use Norton Antivirus or McAfee VirusScan, > right-click (or, if you have a Mac, click and hold) on the > file in question. A pop-up menu should appear, and one of the > choices should be "Scan with ..." and the name of your > antivirus program. If that doesn't work, just open your > antivirus program and try to scan the file from there. > > Do you have to scan EVERY file, even if that file is from your > friends or coworkers? Yes! Both the Melissa and the > WormExplore.Zip viruses distributed themselves by opening your > email program, looking at either your 'friends' list or the > list of email addresses in your inbox, and then distributing > virus-infected files to everyone on that list. > > In the world of computer viruses, you can't trust anyone. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > 4. TURN ON MACRO VIRUS PROTECTION IN MICROSOFT WORD, AND BEWARE > OF ALL WORD MACROS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT MACROS > ARE. > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Word Macros are saved sequences of commands or keyboard > strokes that can be stored and then recalled with a single > command or keyboard stroke. They enable advanced Word users > to easily accomplish what would otherwise be difficult tasks. > They also allow virus writers to do serious damage to your > computer. For example, the Melissa virus was actually a Word > Macro virus. > > If you use Word 97, go to Tools --> Options. Click on the > "General" tab. Make sure that "Macro virus protection" (at > the bottom of the list) is checked. > > If you use Word 2000, Double-click on the Tools menu, point to > "Macro," and then choose "Security." Select the level of > security you want. High security will allow only macros that > have been signed to open. Unsigned macros will be > automatically disabled. Medium security always brings up the > macro dialog protection box that allows you to disable macros > if you are unsure of the macros. > > With Macro virus protection turned on, Microsoft Word will > warn you every time you try to open a Word document that > contains a macro. The warning gives you three choices: the > option to open the file but disable its macros ("disable > macros"), open the file with macros enabled ("enable macros"), > or the option to not open the file ("do no open"). Chose the > first (default) option: "disable macros." > > For more information, visit the Macro Virus Protection page at > http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/focus/articles/o97mcrod.htm > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > 5. IF SOMEONE UNEXPECTEDLY SENDS YOU AN EXECUTABLE FILE -- IN > OTHER WORDS, A FILE THAT ENDS IN .EXE -- THROW IT OUT. > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Most of the forty thousand viruses that are floating around > the Net right now are hiding in executable files. If someone, > even a close personal friend, unexpectedly sends you a file > that ends in .exe -- or if they unexpectedly send you a zipped > file that contains a file or files that end in .exe -- your > safest bet is to delete the file without opening it. > > The key word here is "unexpectedly." If you are expecting a > friend to send you an executable file, you certainly don't > need to delete that file -- just virus scan it first before > you open it. > > However, if you are in an environment (like a home) where you > don't often receive ANY files attached to your incoming email > messages, a better rule would be: "When in doubt, throw it out > ... and doubt EVERYTHING." > > How well will these five rules protect your computer from becoming > infected with a virus, Trojan horse, or worm? Take a look at the > following questions, and decide for yourself. How many people whose > computers were infected with the Melissa virus ignored at least one of > these rules? ALL OF THEM! How many people who followed these five > rules had their computers infected by Melissa? NONE OF THEM! How > many people whose computers were infected with the WormExplore.Zip > virus ignored at least one of these rules? ALL OF THEM! How many > people who followed these five rules had their computers infected by > the WormExplore.Zip virus? NONE OF THEM! > > These five rules will not protect you from every computer virus, > Trojan horse, or worm, but they will so significantly decrease your > computer's chances of becoming infected that you can all but forget > about the next virus scare and all the ones that will follow. > > --------------------------------- > TODAY'S SOUTHERN WORD OF THE WEEK > --------------------------------- > > SKOO (Noun). Educational institution. > Usage: "Bubba's the scholar in the family ... he didn't drop out of > skoo 'til the third grade." > > [Special thanks to "DonnelsonJ" for today's wurd] > > You can find all of the old Southern Words of the day at > <A HREF="http://netsquirrel.com/crispen/word.html"> > http://netsquirrel.com/crispen/word.html </A> > > =====================[ Tourbus Rider Information ]=================== > The Internet Tourbus - U.S. Library of Congress ISSN #1094-2238 > Copyright 1995-99, Rankin & Crispen - All rights reserved > Archives on the Web at http://www.TOURBUS.com > > Do You Like Tourbus? Recommend It and You Could Win a Palm Pilot! > <A HREF=" http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=194773 "> CLICK </A> > > Join: Send SUBSCRIBE TOURBUS Your Name to [log in to unmask] > Leave: Send SIGNOFF TOURBUS to [log in to unmask] > > Send this copy to 3 friends and tell them to hop on the Bus! > ===================================================================== > > **** IS WINDOWS TOO BORING? **** > > Bring it to life with Oska DeskMate. Oska is an interactive > character that lives and plays on your Windows 95/98 desktop. > > !!FREE!! DOWNLOAD NOW !!FREE!! > > http://www.oska.com/oska0103.htm > > (: Go on. Have Some Fun. :) > > .~~~. )) > (\__/) .' ) )) Patrick Douglas Crispen > /o o \/ .~ > {o_, \ { [log in to unmask] > / , , ) \ http://www.netsquirrel.com/ > `~ '-' \ } )) AOL Instant Messenger: Squirrel2K > _( ( )_.' > '---..{____} Warning: squirrels.