Just Asking for Viruses

By: Eric Durrand

"I would like my computer to slow down, way down… like holiday traffic," says a character in a new AOL commercial ad that seems to be playing everywhere these days. A woman is asking to lose all of her music files, and another all of her baby's digital photos. One guy says he'd like it if someone stole his identity, and another is just dying to get a virus and give it to all his friends. "Millions of Americans are just asking for a computer virus", the ad summarizes, "because they are not nearly as protected as they think they are". While amusing this ad deals with a harsh truth, also, affecting teachers and school networks.

According to Trend Micro, the first creator of Anti-Virus software and one of the leading antivirus vendors, computer viruses had caused more than $55 billion in damage during 2003 alone! The financial damage caused was due to information loss, and downtime that resulted in loss of productivity. Viruses can delete important documents, slow down and stop computer activity and the internet connection, render a computer system unusable, infringe on users' privacy, and harm the reputation of respected establishments.

Teachers and schools may be at a higher risk of being hit by a computer virus. First, many schools lack the budget to defend against a virus attack. Second, frustrated or mischievous students may infect a teacher's personal computer, or a classroom computer. Spreading viruses is easy - you can often find the specimen online, and send it as an e-mail attachment yourself. Specialized tools for creating new viruses are also available online, and are fairly simple to use. A student can create and spread a completely new virus, not detectable by some antivirus tools.

A virus is a general name for self-spreading malicious software. It often arrives as an e-mail attachment, or spreads itself through network shares and the internet. Other times it may be a Trojan, a malware that disguises itself as legitimate software, only to do its damage behind the scenes. Viruses like Netsky, MyDoom, and Bropia spread like wildfire either through e-mail, instant messaging, or other means - and cause damage wherever they go. Once they are detected by all the leading antivirus tools, a new, slightly improved brand of the same virus may appear and start a new wave of infections.

Viruses spreading through e-mail, also known as e-mail worms, are by far the most common. One day you open your inbox to find a strange new message. It might seem to come from someone you know, or a stranger. It may have a reasonable title and content, or it could be a far fetched or random combination of words. Many times the content of the message will urge you to open the attached file. The rule is simple - if you didn't expect an attachment, and don't know exactly what it is - don't open it. If you are not sure about it, contact the sender and ask for a clarification, before you open it.

While common sense and basic precautions will go a long way in protecting you against viruses, the best defense against them is antivirus software. Brand names like Trend Micro, McAfee, and Norton Antivirus are the most popular, and offer many defense layers. Other contenders include Panda, Avast, Kapresky Labs, and VCatch. Most of these solutions offer a comprehensive set of tools against viruses: They scan incoming e-mails, run real-time memory scans, check potentially infected downloads before the virus can spread, and run pre-scheduled full system scan to detect any hidden viruses on your system. They are usually updated weekly with new “Virus Signatures”, protecting your system against new threats. Enterprise solutions offer the ability to manage, update, and scan all the computers on a network from a central location.

In addition to installing and configuring an antivirus solution, it is wise to stay current with virus news. Schools should register with mailing lists for virus alerts; popular newsletters include Symantec Antivirus Center, which provides the latest news and analysis of the risk posed by current viruses; Trend Micro Security Info Center which offers a similar service, and Help Net Security is an independent source that offers virus related news and a large virus encyclopedia.

Viruses are just one of the threats to the stability of the digital world. Spam, Spyware, Trojans and Hackers, as well as Phishing scams designed to steal your identity, are also part of the digital landscape. These risks, however, can be mitigated by using the right set of tools, and having the right knowledge. Only protecting their Information Technology assets will allow schools to meet their curriculum and saving their meager means for providing better education to our children.