An Important Reminder Regarding Computer Viruses

An Important Reminder Regarding Computer Viruses

In light of the recent emergence of the W32/Aliz and W32/Badtrans worms, as well as the high-risk "Goner" virus, we would once again like to stress the importance of using and updating anti-virus software to all of our users within the Rensselaer community.

Computer viruses continually pose a potential threat to the security and safety of the data stored on users' computers, from laptops to PC desktops. As a result, we cannot emphasize strongly enough that users not only need to use anti-virus software, but keep it up-to-date in order to best protect their machines from possible infection.

Because as many as 1,200 new viruses have been known to emerge every month, it has become more and more important for all computer users to take advantage of the updates virus protection software vendors provide in order to detect or remove a virus.

Students who received laptops as freshmen in 1999, 2000, and 2001 already have the Norton anti-virus software installed on their machines, and can easily perform periodic live software updates by doing the following:

  1. Connect to the network.

  2. Open the Start menu and select the Programs option. From the resulting pop-up sub-menu, select the Norton AntiVirus Corporate Edition option.

  3. From the next pop-up sub-menu that appears, select the Norton AntiVirus Corporate Edition option.

  4. A separate window will appear on the screen; click on the Live Update... button.

  5. A Virus Protection Update window appears. Check the field labeled "How do you want to connect to a LiveUpdate server?" The current setting should be Internet. If it is not, left-click on the drop-down arrow beside the box, and change it.

  6. Click the Next button to begin downloading the anti-virus software files. An In Progress window will appear and indicate the various stages of the update's progress. A Transfer Completed window will appear on the screen when the files have finished downloading.

  7. Click on the Finish button to complete the update procedure.

    Remember, it is your responsibility to keep your computer virus-free! Rensselaer's campus license for the Norton anti-virus software applies to all of our users, and we strongly recommend that you use this, or some similar anti-virus software, and keep it up-to-date for your own protection and peace of mind.

    All users can find additional anti-virus information, as well as links to McAfee and Norton software upgrades, by clicking on the Virus Info. link located under the Computing section of the main RPInfo homepage.

    Alternatively, you may enter the URL http://www.rpi.edu/dotcio/virus.html in the Location or Address field at the top of your browser window.

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