Viruses and Malware are malicious software written by someone with mischievous or criminal intent.
They usually want to spread to other computers and/or do some damage or theft.
The effects on your computer could be anything from displaying a message, stopping you logging on, deleting your files, stealing your passwords or worse.
How to avoid viruses and malware:
- You must use anti-virus software – otherwise your computer WILL be infected sooner or later. The anti-virus software must be kept updated. This is done automatically by University computers. For non-University computers Students and staff can download free anti-virus software from here.
- Keep your computer updated with patches. This is done automatically by University computers. Use the free ICT service to CHECK your anti-virus and patching is OK: http://checkmypc.lincoln.ac.uk
- Don’t open any email attachment you are not expecting to receive, even if it appears to come from someone you know.
- Don’t just go to a link included in an email especially anything where money is involved, e.g. your bank, eBay, PayPal. Always use a bookmark or type in the address yourself to go to these sites.
- Don’t accept/use unsolicited media, e.g. USB sticks, DVDs or CDs.
Don’t run programs or open documents (e.g. Word/Excel) whose origin you don’t know. If you are doubtful about a USB stick, disk, file or attachment, but think it may contain something you want, you should check it using your anti-virus software.
What should I do if I think my computer has a virus? Don’t Panic!
If your computer starts to behave strangely, e.g. run very slowly, bleep without reason, lock up or crash, display bizarre messages, or your documents disappear or become corrupt, these effects may be symptoms of a virus, although they can also arise for a host of other reasons. On the other hand, some viruses just spread through your system with no outward sign. The only way to discover whether you have a virus or other malware is to scan your system with up-to-date anti-virus software. Contact the ICT Service Desk – via here.