How can I protect my computer from viruses?
1 - READ and educate yourself. It is very important that you educate yourself about viruses and the damage
that they can do to your system. Anti-virus research centers update their websites daily. We recommend the
following for up-to-date virus information:
http://www.symantec.net
http://www.mcafee.com
http://www.cert.org/
http://csrc.ncsl.nist.gov/virus/
2 - Obtain anti-virus software TODAY. Do not take for granted the current state of your systems. One email
can damage all of your important files or compromise the security of your entire network if you are unprotected.
Get anti-virus software that will scan floppy disks, email attachments, and web downloads.
3 - Update your anti-virus definition files (DAT files) weekly at minimum. Scan your hard drive often, even
daily if possible. Bookmark the virus information web sites above. Over 500 new viruses are discovered each
month, so check these sites regularly.
4 - DO NOT open email attachments that you are not expecting - even if they come from someone you know.
Don't let curiosity get the best of you - delete that attachment.
5 - Disable the Preview Pane in your email client. With Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express, previewing an
email message may be enough to infect your system with a worm/virus. If you need help doing this, please
contact Nauticom Technical Support. We'd be glad to offer assistance.
6 - Exercise caution when downloading files from the Internet. Ensure that the source is a legitimate and
reputable one. Verify that an anti-virus program checks the files on the download site. If you're uncertain,
don't download the file at all or download the file to a floppy and test it with your own anti-virus software.
7 - Install security patches recommended by Microsoft -
http://www.microsoft.com Run Windows Updates. This is especially important for the business environment.
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
Can I receive an e-mail virus from someone I know?
You can receive e-mail viruses from people that you know and trust - primarily because many viruses are sent
via the address book on the infected computer. So, the person who has sent that worm or virus to you may not
even know it!
Is sending and receiving E-mail the only way that I can receive a virus?
Email isn't the only way that a virus can infect your system. Viruses are sent through the web, on a floppy
disc, via FTP (file transfer protocol), through chat clients, and even by visiting web pages.
What is spam?
Spam is unsolicited, mass, electronic distribution of email or newsgroup postings. Spam originates in the
form of unsolicited promotion, much of which pertains to business offerings, pornography, chain letters,
and many times in the case of newsgroup postings, harassment of an individual or group. Most spam will
arrive in your inbox with an inaccurate 'To:' and/or 'From:' address. This is why spam is at times difficult
to confront and/or block.
Can ConnectTime stop the pornographic sites and spam from being sent to my e-mail?
If you would like us to research and attempt to block spam from any sender that you are receiving spam from,
we will need for you to forward the Internet message header from each message that you would like reviewed.
To obtain the header, right-click the message that you received, select and click Properties (or Options
in some email clients). Copy and paste the entire Internet message header into your email addressed to
abuse@connecttime.net.
Spam can be controlled by the user by utilizing some care as to with whom the email address is shared.
Also, Do Not respond to 'subscribe' or un-subscribe' options in unsolicited emails; many times these
people are testing to see if an email address is correct and active--if you respond, they will know for
sure.
