Module # 2.8.1

Protect against viruses

Getting there

Always dress warm in winter!

Guess that is for the wrong kind of virus. Well sort of.

Viruses are programs that reproduce themselves into the files of your computer. Eventually, they will do what they were designed to do (mess up your computer). You should ALWAYS use some form of virus protection. This program will notice a virus and kill it (just like your immune system) before it causes any real problems.

Some anti-virus software only goes through and checks your disks when you tell it to. That is not good!
Some remember what each file looks like and warns you if it has been changed. That is not good!
Good anti-virus software looks at each file you use and compares it to a list of known viruses. This works very well as long as you update the virus list frequently (try once a month).

The best anti-virus programs also will disinfect a file for you.

You install these programs just like any other application.

Exercise #1

Find the antivirus software on this computer and look at the options and on-line help it offers.