A computer virus is a program that performs a malicious act, such
as deleting necessary files, duplicating files until your hard
drive is full, etc.
A virus spreads based on the technical features of the virus itself
and the behavior of the computer user. Most viruses are parasites,
attaching themselves to a carrier object such as a file or some
other entity that is likely to be transmitted to another computer.
The virus attaches itself to this object and waits until that
object is used, such as when an infected email is opened by the
recipient. Once activated, the virus looks for other suitable
carrier objects and attaches itself to them.
A virus does not appear as an object in itself. A virus always
hides in another application. An infected document will look normal
and may even perform normally. This means that it is hard for
an ordinary user to tell if a system is or is not infected. Special
software is needed to examine the system and detect a virus infection.
A worm is very similar to a virus in that it is also replicating
software. The difference between a virus and a worm is that a
worm replicates itself independent of a carrier object. It does
not need to attach itself to a file or a document to spread or
execute. In other words, if you have a worm on a disk, as soon
as you put the disk in your computer, the worm begins. A virus
would only start when you opened the infected file on the disk.
If someone sends you an infected email, IntelliMail will quarantine the infected email
in your message center. If the message can be "cleaned," you can choose to have it delivered to your
inbox at that time. If it cannot be cleaned, simply delete the infected email before it ever reaches your
computer.
To signup for this service, you must be hosting an account with
Total Computer Solutions. If you are a current client interested in purchasing this service,
please contact our sales office.
