At Dnet we scan all email for viruses and we update our virus definitions daily. We also subscribe to a variety of exploit notification services such as CERT, VirusEye, and of course Microsoft. When any notification service informs us of a new virus in the wild, we begin immediately checking for the availability of a virus definition update. As soon as an update is available we will manually update our scanners with the new definition rather than waiting for the regularly scheduled daily update.

Computer viruses continue to be a growing problem. The floppy disk used to be the most common way to be infected with a virus. Today, viruses are spread in many different ways including email attachments, web downloads, Internet worms and CDs. The Internet allows virus creators access to millions of potential victims while providing the ability to propagate viruses easily and quickly. In addition to email viruses there are some security concerns when you download and execute certain types of files, such as:

Executables (.exe, .com, .bat)

Files found inside of zips, arjs, rars (the .zip, .arj, .rar extensions)

Macros and Trojans found inside of documents (.doc, .xls, .mdb, etc.)

You should look closely at the extension before downloading or opening files. For example, the file picturename.jpg.vbs is not a picture (.jpg), but it is a Visual Basic Script (.vbs). The last extension on the file name is the one that determines what the computer does with the file you open.

Dnet provides email virus protection for all of it's users - meaning the scanning of the EMAIL that comes through our servers so your machine is protected from viruses before they get to you.

This means that viruses, worms, and trojans that are transmitted via Email are being scanned & quarantined on our servers. However, email is only ONE of the many ways that viruses can be transmitted. And it is recommended that you have Anti-Virus software installed on your machine.

ANY file on the internet (music files, pictures, executables, games, genealogy databases, documents from your list serve, etc.) could potentially harm your machine. This is not to say that you cannot use the internet or download files. However, you must be proactive about protecting your machine.

1. Make sure to update your anti-virus software regularly. Hundreds of new viruses are detected monthly so your anti-virus must be updated to protect against those new viruses.

2. Be Cautious of any file downloaded from the internet. Make sure that the source is legitimate. Verify that your anti-virus program checks the files. **If you are uncertain, DO NOT download the file.**

3. Be cautious of any files attached to an email, even from friends or family, unless you know specifically what it is. Email-specific Viruses (such as the recent SoBig Virus) replicate themselves by sending emails to users in a victim's address book. So even if the Sender appears to be someone you know, make sure of the file before you open it.

4. Backup your files regularly. If a virus destroys your file(s), at least you will have a backup - even if an older version. Make sure to store your backup in a separate location from your work files.