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Security Information Center
Information Resources  :  Security

Computer Virus and Spyware Protection at KUMC

 

About computer viruses and spyware

A virus is a computer program that runs on your computer and does something annoying or malicious. Some very nasty viruses can prevent your computer from working properly, steal or destroy data, or even allow a complete stranger to access your computer without your knowledge. Viruses rely on human intervention to spread, but a worm is a type of computer virus that spreads on its own.

Spyware is a computer program that is installed on a computer without the user's knowledge and transmits information about the user's computer or computing activities over the Internet.

Unwanted programs is a third category that may not be exactly by spyware or viruses, but which may engage in behavior that can compromise your PC.  Examples include adware (obnoxious pop-up ads), trojans (malicious software masquerading as legitimate software) and rootkits (stealthy software that allows a hacker to access your computer without your knowledge).  KUMC also classifies peer-to-peer software in this category.

 

  

Did you receive an alert that a virus or spyware was detected on your PC?  If so, click here to find out more information.

How does a computer get infected by a virus or spyware?

There are actually many ways that your computer can "catch" a virus or become infected with spyware.  The most common way of getting a virus today is from browsing to a malicious website that downloads the virus or spyware to your computer without you knowing it!  Virus writers often insert their viruses into files that are popular downloads so be careful - that "free" software may not be free of viruses!

Other ways of getting infected include:

  • opening an email attachment (a file connected to an email message). Attachments can be Word files, Excel files, JPEGs, GIFs, or any type of file, even small computer programs. The virus starts its work when you open and run these attached files.
  • sharing infected files on a floppy disk, CD, DVD, USB thumb drive or other media. An infected file accessed on a "clean" computer then infects that computer.
  • downloading infected files or programs through peer-to-peer file sharing or IRC chat programs

Viruses, schmiruses.....so what?

It may not sound like a big deal, but computer viruses can wreak serious havoc.  An infected computer can cause your system to malfunction, limiting your productivity and requiring several days to get it back up and running.  It could cause you to lose valuable information or embarrass you by sending itself in an email to all of your friends and colleagues in your address book. Or - even worse- allow a hacker to access your computer without your knowledge. 

As if that weren't bad enough, infected computers often infect other computers in your office and even servers on your network (much like the common cold!)  So one infected PC can turn into several.

Hopefully, the reason why we want to avoid both viruses and spyware here at KUMC is now obvious:  with all of the sensitive information that we deal with on a daily basis, it's imperative that we all do what we can to protect that information from prying eyes.  Avoiding getting infected with a virus or spyware is just one important way that we can protect information.

About virus and spyware protection at KUMC

Anti-virus software is the first line of defense against computer viruses. KUMC has invested in McAfee VirusScan Enterprise as its standard Windows and Macintosh computer software for the detection and prevention of malicious viruses and spyware. VirusScan is installed on all University-owned and KUPI-owned faculty and staff computers, and is configured to run in the background transparently.  When you save files to the hard drive, VirusScan first checks them for viruses and spyware and it also scans your computer's entire hard drive(s) on a daily basis.

Information Resources also scans all incoming email messages and attachments for viruses and spyware, but you should still be aware of how you personally can protect your computer from becoming infected.

 

Virus Prevention Tips

1.     Do not open any files attached to an email from an unknown, suspicious or untrustworthy source.

2.     Do not open any files attached to an email unless you know what it is, even if it appears to come from a dear friend or someone you know. Some viruses can replicate themselves and spread through email. Better be safe than sorry and confirm that they really sent it.

3.     Do not open any files attached to an email if the subject line is questionable or unexpected.

4.     Update your anti-virus software regularly. Over 200 viruses are discovered each month, so you'll want to be protected. (On campus workstations, VirusScan is configured to update itself automatically.)

5.     Back up your files on a regular basis. If a virus destroys your files, at least you can replace them with your back-up copy.

6.     Exercise caution when downloading files from the Internet. Ensure that the website is a legitimate and reputable one.

7.     Trust your intuition.  If you're not sure if a file or download is legitimate, always err on the side of caution and do not open, download, or execute the file.