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Firewalls and AntiVirus Software

Firewalls

AntiVirus Software

Virus Hoaxes

Roorkits versus Viruses

Links

Firewall

A Firewall is a barrier (or guard) that prevents unwanted or unauthorized access and communication with your computer. You can set up a security policy so that your firewall will prevent Internet communications that have not been approved and can detect intruders. Vancouver Island University uses a Firewall to protect campus computers.

A firewall can be a piece of hardware, such as a router, or a software program. Most newer operating systems have built-in firewalls:

A firewall will not protect your system from viruses, or spyware and adware (malware) that you may have installed. A properly configured firewall can minimize damage caused by spyware by blocking unauthorized outbound traffic.

For more information about Firewalls (including a list of personal software firewall products), please see the Wikipedia article on Firewall (networking)

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AntiVirus Software

An AntiVirus program will inspect the contents of a file or email and match this to a list of known viruses patterns (called virus definitions). Vancouver Island University has installed Symantec AntiVirus on campus computers to protect them against viruses.

Viruses are spread to computers through a variety of ways: floppy disks, CDs, USB memory drives, Email (Including attachments) and downloaded files. A virus can destroy computer data, slow down your system, cause your system to crash, allow spammers to use your computer to send email, and allow your computer to be taken over by a malicious user.

A good AntiVirus program will recognize current viruses as well as older ones, be able to reverse the damage caused by a virus (or provide tools to remove the virus on their web site) and should have the ability to update automatically. Just installing an AntiVirus program is not enough, it must be frequently updated.

Faculty and staff can install a copy of Symantec Endpoint Protection on their home computer by downloading it from our site or by borrowing a CD from the IT Helpdesk.

Students with a computer or laptop (Windows, MAC, or UNIX) can purchase Norton” Antivirus at an educational discount online. There are also a number of antivirus programs available that can be purchased or are free from your internet service provider, such as:

Once you have an infection or think you might have one, there are some steps you can take to scan and clean your computer.  These sites don’t replace software for your computer but can help once you have an infection:

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Virus Hoaxes

A virus hoax is a report (by email or interent pop-up) that warns of a new (non-existent) virus. While these hoaxes will not directly damage your system they can cause problems with Email servers in te form of SPAM, trick people into damaging their own computer by deleting important files or installing unwanted software, or persuade people into giving over personal infrmation or credit card numbers. A hoax can be identified by some or all of the following:

  • Warn you of a new, undetectable, highly destructive virus
  • Claim that the warning was issued by a major software company, Internet Service Provider, Media Outlet, Financial Institution, or Government agency
  • Direct you to any site to fill out personal information
  • Urge you to forward the warning to other people you know.
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Rootkits versus Viruses

A Rootkit is a set of software tools that an intruder can use to gain access to a computer system. These tools can conceal running processes, hide files, folders and system data, and help an intruder retain access to a system without the legitimate user's knowledge. A Rootkit can include a number of utilities intended to take advantage of a user's system including installing a 'back door' so an intruder can gain access more easily, using the compromised system to launch denial of service attacks against web sites, and as a file server (which seriously impairs the performance of the system). The biggest difference between viruses and rootkits is that in a compromised system a virus will try to propagate itself to other systems; a rootkit will generally limit itself to maintaining control of the system.

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Links:

Viruses and Spam - What you need to know (by Sophos)
Wikipedia Entry for Rootkit