Virus Information & Removal

What is a Computer Virus?

If you highly depend on the information stored on your personal computer, then you need to understand how computer viruses spread, and why you should use anti-virus software to reduce the risk of computer viruses infecting your programs and files.

A computer virus is a program that makes copies of itself and infects files. Computer viruses can spread to other computers and files whenever infected files are exchanged. Often infected files come as email attachments, even from people you know. The email senders have no idea that they are passing on a file with a virus in it. Some computer viruses can erase or change the information stored on your computer, other viruses may do little or no harm to your system.

 

How do I protect my computer?

There are several things that you should do to protect your computer from viruses

• Use a high-quality anti-virus software, and be sure to update it regularly. Use it to scan any files, programs, software.
  
  
• Always back-up you computer of a regular basis and store them in another location other than your computer's hard drive. Making backups will also protect your information against accidental file deletion, disk failures or system crashes.
  
  
• Always scan your disks and files after using them on another computer.
  
  
• Always scan all files you download from the Internet.
  
  
• Always scan Microsoft Office file email attachments before you read them.

 

How can I get an AntiVirus software?

We offer the following AntiVirus software from Symantec. Contact FW IT if you need to install it on your computer.

• Symantec AntiVirus 9.0 Corporate Edition, for Windows XP users.
  
  
• Symantec AntiVirus 10.2 Corporate Edition, for Windows Vista users .

 

How should I have my AntiVirus software configured?

All Faculty, Staff and Students should have an AntiVirus software installed on their computers. All desktop computers should be "Managed" by our FWHOME server and notebook computers are generally "Unmanaged"

Managed Clients - If your computer is managed by FWHOME, then users don't have to worry about updating their software regularly, moreover if your computer gets infected by viruses FW IT will know it immediately and will take necessary steps to delete the virus.

Unmanaged Clients - If your computer is not managed by FWHOME, then it is the user's responsibility to update the software regularly and delete the virus if your computer gets infected. Feel free to create a support ticket if you would like FW IT to take a look at the virus.

See our Documentations page on how to configure your AntiVirus software.