Protecting Against Computer Viruses
Computer viruses and malware are software written with the specific purpose of doing harm to computers or stealing personal information. Malware may cause unsolicited pop-up advertisements when you browse the internet. Others, once activated, will look for and transmit passwords or credit card information on your computer! For protection of you and your personal computer, Technology Services recommends that all computers have antivirus and malware protection installed!
Personal Computers
Popular antivirus programs for personal use are Norton Antivirus, ESET NOD32 Antivirus and Trend Micro Antivirus. They offer award-winning protection and can be purchased at any software retail outlet, including the online store. Alternatively, popular free products are Microsoft Security Essentials, AVG Antivirus Free Edition and Malwarebytes.
Campus Computers
All Trinity operated computers have antivirus and malware protection preloaded. No configuration of these softwares are necessary.
Computer Protection Best Practices
Most computer viruses and malware are transmitted via e-mail attachments or from surfing websites. For safer computing, the following advice should be taken into consideration:
- Do not open any files attached to an e-mail from an unknown or suspicious source.
- Do not open an attachment to an e-mail unless you know what it is, even if it comes from someone you know. Some viruses can propagate using someone’s address book.
- When in doubt, err on the side of caution and delete any suspicious e-mails.
- Do not download or install any files from a website you are unsure about. Some websites trick people into downloading their antivirus software by saying the computer is infected with a virus.