Protect Your PC

By Doug Carner

It seems as though we read about a new "killer" computer virusnearly every month. Each threat stirs a new wave of virus-protection softwareupdates. While anti-virus programs are quick to react, they are often merely thecure to the illness your computer suffers, not a preventive measure. On somecomputers, anti-virus software can keep your business programs from operatingcorrectly--especially those with automatic serial-port communications, such asself-storage software that processes overnight gate access or rent collectionsby credit card.

For the virus writers, it is a game of cat and mouse with your valuablecomputer files caught in the precarious balance. There are some amazingly simplesteps you can take that will prevent most viruses from ever entering yourcomputer. In this case, more than ever, an once of prevention is worth a poundof cure. But first, it would be helpful to understand how a computer virusworks.

Every known virus is a set of instructions designed to carry out a malicioustask on a specific date or event. Some viruses pass script commands to naivesections of the Windows operating system. The default Windows settings permitscript viruses to penetrate deep into your computer while you innocently read aninfected e-mail. Other viruses are completely self-contained programs that relysolely on their internal components. These viruses mask as harmless e-mailattachments that beg for you to double-click and install.

This is part one of a two-part series on PC safety. You can execute a fewsimple steps to safeguard your precious business files. You will instantly bevaccinated against all known script viruses and have reasonable protection frommost program viruses. These tips are applicable to Windows 98 operating systems.Not all of these steps will be available in other versions of Windows.

Scripting

Give yourself immediate protection against the most common script viruses,such the infamous Melissa virus that took the nation by storm in March 1999.Melissa was a macro virus for Microsoft Word 97 and 2000 that used MicrosoftOutlook to send itself to lots of people very quickly without detection. Thevirus spread like wildfire in company e-mail systems and across the Internet,causing havoc in places such as the home offices of Microsoft Corp. and IntelCorp., among many others. Here are some steps to protect your system fromsimilar viruses:

Sharing

You can also add a barrier of protection by requiring a password before anyoutside program can access your files. Here's how:

Repeat the above steps for each hard drive you want to protect.

Do you work on a network of computers that need to share each other's files?If not, why give the Internet world the right to share your computer files?

Macros

Here's how to stop unauthorized Macros (embedded scripts) from running whenyou load a document:

In next month's column, I will continue with part two of "Protect YourPC" and offer steps toward protecting your computer against the deadliestof viruses and communicating via the Internet.

Doug Carner is the vice president of marketing for QuikStor Security &Software, a Sherman Oaks, Calif.-based company specializing in security,software and management for the self-storage industry. For more information,call 800.321.1987; e-mail [email protected];visit www.quikstor.com.