From: Marc Perkel
Re: Stopping Computer Viruses 101
Date: Aug. 27, 2003

As bad as the current crop of this weeks computer viruses are, they are nothing compared to what might follow. The next generation of computer viruses that could come as soon as three weeks from now might actually take the Internet down and cause massive data losses on an unprecedented scale.

The recent virus named "SoBig" installs a "back door" into the victim's computer that allows the infected computer (potentially, millions of computers) to be in an "open" state waiting to be exploited in the future.

It has been speculated in press reports that the virus author plans to use it as a launch pad for a massive spam attack -- but it could be far worse.

With millions of computers vulnerable, any knowledgeable programmer on the planet could figure out how this virus works and use it to launch their own attack. It could be used, for example, to instantly spread not only to currently infected computers but new computers as well, and instantly destroy all your data or email your sensitive documents to random people.

And your virus protection software will have no effect in stopping this because virus software rarely protects computers from the latest newest virus.

These viruses exploit flaws in the Microsoft Windows operating system -- and it's time for the world to demand that Microsoft take affirmative steps to deal with this issue.

Millions of computers are open and vulnerable -- and if a terrorist were to combine the technologies of SoBig with MsBlaster, it is possible that they could take the Internet down worldwide.

We all need to act now to prevent this from happening.

In fact, computer viruses can be stopped -- and it isn't be very hard to stop them.

Almost all computer viruses are spread as executable email attachments that the victim is tricked into opening and running.

Often, users of Microsoft Outlook don't even have to run the attachment if they have their setting wrong.

Here are three steps that Windows users can do to protect themselves from viruses.

1: go to Microsoft Windows Update service and install ALL the latest security patches.

2: avoid opening email attachments unless you are very sure you know what it is.

3: ask your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to block ALL messages containing Windows attachments that are executable. By blocking all executable attachment your anti-virus software doesn't have to figure out if the attachment is or is not a virus. And remember: anti-virus software rarely catches the very latest viruses that are going around.

If you take these three steps you should be virus free.

Face it: it's a lot easier to prevent a virus than it is to remove one after your computer is already infected.