Unfortunately, many computer
users will be victims of viruses, worms, and/or Trojan horses that will infect
computers with malicious code. Some infections will be very obvious: files will
be destroyed, your computer will be shut down, and programs will not function.
Other infections might not be as obvious. Unless you are running anti-virus
software, malicious code could slowly affect your computer over time until the
system is completely useless. If your anti-virus software cannot remove the
malicious code from your computer automatically, the United States Computer
Emergency Readiness Team recommends following these steps:
1.
Minimize
the damage: If a work computer is affected, contact your IT team immediately
and have them investigate and treat your computer. If a home computer is
affected, disconnect the computer from the internet. By removing the internet
connection, you will prevent future attacks and viruses from being able to
access your computer and perform tasks such as locating personal data, manipulating
or deleting files, and using your computer to attack other computers. The most
important factor is to act quickly.
2.
Remove the malicious code: “If you have anti-virus software installed on your
computer, update the virus definitions (if possible), and perform a manual scan
of your entire system. If you do not have anti-virus software, you can purchase
it at a local computer store (see Understanding
Anti-Virus Software for
more information).” (U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team). If the software cannot locate and
remove the virus, you may need to reinstall your operating system (using a
system restore disk that is often supplied with a new computer). Reinstalling
or restoring the operating system will typically erase all of your files and
software installed on the computer. After reinstalling the operating system and
any other software, install of the appropriate patches to fix known vulnerabilities
(see US-CERT Understanding Patches for more information).
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