Information Security Training

Virus Protection Video (Courtesy of ISO, University of Tennessee) To watch the video, click on the icon below that matches your media player. If you don't have a player, go to our download page. If you need a video with text captions, please visit our text-captioned page.

Virus Protection Best Practices

Are you aware that an unprotected computer can be infected with a virus, worm or Trojan horse in less than 5 minutes when connected to the Internet? These are the most common forms of infection. This is dependent on computer systems being unprotected by having the latest anti-virus updates or security patches for both operating systems and software applications. Neglecting these actions can make your computer system an easy target for hackers to exploit in order to gain access for criminal activity.

Viruses prey on those uninformed computer users. This is done by embedding attachments in appealing looking e-mails hoping to trick the unsuspecting users into activating the virus, worm or Trojan. This can also occur in file sharing using instant messaging services.

The best practices for protecting against viruses, worms or Trojans include:

• Never open a suspicious attachment even from a friend or relative. These can carry an infected file as well as one from a hacker.
• Keep your operating systems and software applications up to date with the latest security patches.
• Use anti-virus software that will protect your computer from receiving and transmitting viruses. Towson University offers free Anti-Virus software on the Office of Technology Services web site.

Note: It is important to keep your anti-virus software up to date even after installing the application.

Additional Resources:

• How a Virus Works
• TU Virus Information and Software Downloads
• AOL IM Virus Protection
• 5 Steps to Avoid IM Viruses
• Top 10 Tips for Avoiding Viruses
• Avoiding Computer Viruses that Spread through E-Mail

If you need further assistance, email infosec@towson.edu for help.
 

Information Security Office
Office of Technology Services
Cook Library, 4
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
E-mail: infosec@towson.edu