This section (updated 30 Nov 2005) includes advice gleaned from various professional sources (URLs given where possible), along with recommendations based on my own experience. It is meant to be basic rather than comprehensive.

Virus production and hacker attacks are clearly increasing exponentially, and it is imperative for every PC to have adequate protection, and for every PC user to follow good security practise. Effectively protecting our own PCs actually helps to protect others' PCs. Much self-help can be implemented at no expense, so high-quality, free software recommendations have been made where possible.

Software Suggestions     Security Practise     Helpful Resources

Software Suggestions

Antivirus Software operates at deep and intensive levels within operating systems, and system conflicts are possible upon installation. So it may be necessary to try different antivirus programs until one is found that integrates well with your particular PC setup. Under Windows XP I use the excellent Eset Nod32 (£48 for 3 years). Good antivirus software companies provide frequent antivirus definition file updates - Eset Nod32's updates are daily these days - and have even been 3 times in a day! A free antivirus program to consider is AVG Free Edition.

Updating your antivirus definition files daily is good practise. Unfortunately, modern viruses (worms, trojans etc.) propagate and wreak havoc so quickly (within hours of their release) that an incredible amount of damage is done worldwide before antivirus companies produce effective antidotes (usually within a few days). This emphasises the need for good security practise (see below).

Supplemental antivirus protection can be achieved by installing the free AnalogX Script Defender. This small program can be used in addition to your main antivirus software. It intercepts all requests to execute a variety of different script types that are commonly used to infect your computer - thus giving you an opportunity to consider and avert any potential virus threat. Script extensions you can copy/paste into the program are:-
.VBS,.VBE,.JS,.JSE,.HTA,.WSF,.WSH,.PIF,.BAT,.CHM,.COM,.CPL,.HCT,.LNK,.PIF,.SCR,.SHB,.SHS
- Other scripting extensions can be added later when virus authors work out some other exploit.

The efficacy of your email protection can be tested at http://www.gfi.com/emailsecuritytest/.

Filter your email before you download it! Mailwasher is an excellent program that lists the email that awaits you at your ISP's mail server. It allows you to delete, bounce and/or preview email messages at that point, and even to preview email header details so you can note the real (usually unwitting) sender of any virus-laden emails that await you - many such emails give false sender addresses in the 'From' field that you see in your email program. Mailwasher's primary function is to enable you to bounce and/or delete spam at the mail server point, and draws your attention to possible spam. It is donationware and is available from www.mailwasher.net.

Firewall Software
This kind of software interfaces between your computer and the Internet and monitors all incoming and outgoing traffic. It will prevent unauthorised access to your computer while you are connected to the Internet, and you can give authorisation to those programs on your computer which you want to allow to connect to the Internet. Among the excellent free firewall programs are Zonelabs ZoneAlarm and Sygate Personal Firewall. I use the latter because it gobbles up considerably less system resources than some others.

Firewall efficacy can be checked with Gibson Research's 'Shields Up!' at http://grc.com/default.htm.

Security Practise

• Only open attached files from known trustworthy sources. Even then exercise acute caution.
• Don't open attached files if anything about the email is suspicious - sender name, subject etc.
• If you need to open an attachment, save it to the hard drive and scan it with your antivirus software first.
• Close the Preview Pane in your Email Program (in Outlook Express go to 'View'-'Layout').
• Only download internet files from reputable sources. Even then scan them if there is any doubt.
• Update your virus definition files often.
• Have up-to-date antivirus defences on floppy disks or CD.
• IMPORTANT: Windows users - apply all critical updates supplied by Microsoft ('Start' - 'Windows Update').
• Back up your data often to external media (e.g. cd-r, cd-rw, zip drive)
• Clone your whole virus-free system onto external media if you can (e.g. with Norton Ghost).
• Don't ever give out your passwords, no matter how authentic the request seems.
• Beware 'phishing' scams - emails that purport to come from banks or other financial institutions are usually fraudulent.

Helpful Resources

Virus Radar On-line
(Real-time picture of e-mail borne virus trends currently circling the internet.)
http://www.virus-radar.com/index_enu.html

Virus Bulletin Homepage
http://www.virusbtn.com/

Virus Myths and Hoaxes
http://vmyths.com/
http://www.internethoaxes.info/ (scroll down the page for many useful links)

Symantec Security Threat List and Encyclopedia
http://www.sarc.com/

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