Healthy Computing at DePauw University

Virus and Spyware Protection

Get an Anti-Virus Program for your Computer

It is strongly recommended that you download Symantec AntiVirus, which is available through the Help Desk Downloads Page . Symantec AntiVirus is free for students, staff, and faculty members. Make sure that Symantec AntiVirus is continually running and checking your system for any viruses, especially if you are downloading files from the Web, checking your email, or installing any unfamiliar programs. Also make sure that Symantec AntiVirus is set to check for viruses when you first turn on your computer. You should also give your system a thorough scan at least twice a month.

 

Live Update

Live Update is a feature of Symantec AntiVirus that connects to the virus definition database via the Web and updates the types of viruses the program can detect. Regularly updating the virus definitions ensures that your computer will be safe from the latest viruses and worms.

Live Update is a subscription service that is accessible as long as the license you have is valid (as a member of the DePauw community, you are included in DePauw's license). You can update the virus definitions of Symantec AntiVirus by either manually running the Live Update feature or setting it to contact the database on a regular schedule or whenever you connect to the Internet. The campus recommends that you schedule daily Live Updates. For more information on installing Symantec AntiVirus and running Live Updates, visit the Help Desk's webpage on computer viruses.

 

Other Virus Prevention Tips

Don't open unfamiliar email attachments: Because many viruses spread through email, you should use some common sense to protect yourself from them. Don't open any file attachments you are not expecting, even from people you trust. (When in doubt, email your family/friends back to make certain they intended to send you the attachment). And certainly don't open attachments from people you don't even know. You should also be extra cautious of certain types of files before opening them, specifically those ending with ".vbs" or ".exe."

Navigate the Web cautiously: When you are browsing the Internet, be wary of any Web sites that ask you to download anything. Make sure that your anti-virus program is also set to scan any files you do choose to download.

Update your software: Operating system, web browser, and email program vendors often provide security updates or patches, so be sure to check with them regularly to keep your software updated.


Common Virus Related Problems – Red flag that you may have a virus!

  1. Can’t get to any URL/Web site
    1. The screen is blank
    2. The screen comes up with “Specified server cannot be found”
  2. Unexpected Shutdowns
    1. Automatic shutdown
    2. Countdown, saying you have X amount of time before the system shuts down
  3. Strange or erratic behavior when running programs – such as Internet Explorer opening a continual stream of windows.
  4. Can’t get to any anti-virus websites (e.g. www.symantec.com) or anti-virus software does not complete when it’s ran.
  5. Can’t get to your e-mail (sometimes due to changes in security settings)
  6. Computer continually slows down while running.
  7. Your IP address is different than DePauw's normal IP range (which is 163.120.x.x or 172.x.x.x).
  8. Obtrusive pop-up windows.

 

Anti-Spyware

We suggest that you also have anti-spyware software on your machine. You can either download anti-spyware software from DePauw’s Help Desk Downloads page or from www.download.com.

A few tips for installing anti-spyware software.

  • If installing both Spybot and Adaware, download and install Spybot first. Otherwise the two programs will conflict with each other. Download.com provides instructions for downloading and installing Spybot and downloading and installing Ad-Aware.
  • Remember Spybot and Ad-Aware do not update or run themselves so it is important that you do that at least once a week.
  • When running SpyBot, there may be errors that it encounters. It is possible that these are virus-related… just click o.k. through them and it will want to reboot. It is a good idea to reboot you machine afterwards if it does not do it automatically.

 

Additional Resources

For additional help with viruses, contact the Help Desk at x4294, or drop by the Help Desk in the basement of the U.B.

You may also find more information on Symantec's website about security warnings and downloading anti-virus software. Finally, for additional information on viruses and protecting your computer against them, visit this FAQ on computer viruses.