In this section we'll attempt to answer some questions we're
asked frequently by our clients by the aid of some tips 'n' tricks. The
aim is to help our clients deal with some of the quirks that inevitably arise in
computing by providing solutions to common problems and links to resources on
the Internet that tackle more in-depth issues.
It's just something you will have to accept these days, that computers can contract viruses. Up-to-date anti-virus software should help cure most of the better known viruses, and by that we mean an up-to-date database of known viruses, call it your immune system.
Sometimes anti-virus software is not as effective as we'd like and that can be because something prevented an update of this database of virus definitions or that you're one of the (un)lucky few to be the first to contract a new virus that even the software vendors don't know about.
The most common form of infection is by e-mail and there are some golden rules that always apply:
BBCi's Science & Nature department has compiled a helpful knowledge base to get you started when it comes to learning about the origins, hoaxes, prevention and cure of computer viruses.
Do not think for one second that you can compare your business or home PC to your television or washing machine. Your computer might be just a box (hardware) to you but it uses a multitude of software applications that should all work in harmony to do all these wonderful things like browsing the Internet, watching videos, keeping your accounts etc.
Things can go wrong, and probably will if your computer is ill-maintained as it crashes, reboots, contracts viruses and spyware (those unexpected popups). A well-maintained computer system will prevent most of these things from happening, which is important as it often saves time and money rather than attempting to cure. As a business your time is precious and these things do require care and attention so it's crucial to consider Active Technology's tailored computer maintenance options.
Keep your Windows machine up-to-date by regularly visiting the Windows Update web-site - it's the first step in helping guard against some common exploits and new issues.
Unsolicited Commercial e-Mail (UCE), or spam as it's commonly known, affects even the most competent computer user, so you're not alone. By unsolicited e-mail we of course mean e-mail that was sent to you that you never asked for. Your e-mail address can be "harvested" in a variety of ways, and it's difficult to stop it from happening. What you can do is to not rise to any tempting subject lines in your inbox, avoid using the preview pane in Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express (disable/enable via View > Preview Pane if you wish), some "spammers" will place triggers or beacons in an e-mail which activate upon opening so that they at least know your address is a working e-mail address and that you were tempted - and if you reply or buy, well, that's much worse!
Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 allows you view all incoming e-mail in plain-text only, to combat such "beacons". To enable click-through: Tools > Options > E-mail Options... and then tick Read all standard mail in plain text
The Microsoft Office web-site has some advice on how to filter Junk (spam) e-mail so that you're more aware of it - Their section on Junk e-mail also includes valuable tips on how to handle unsolicited e-mail.
See Manage Junk and Adult Content Mail in Outlook 2002.
It's not the best defence, however. If your time is important and spam weighs you and your organisation down, Active Technology can provide a 98% effective spam, porn and virus filter before the e-mail even enters your system. Impressive by any of today's standards - and it learns too! Click through to our section on e-Mail Protection against spam, porn and viruses.
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