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Protecting computer systems against viruses

All organisations and individuals require a policy to combat the potential impact of viruses 

given the frequency with which new, damaging viruses are released. Even individual com-

puter users at home should think through the steps they can take to counter viruses. There 

are two approaches that can be combined to counter viruses. These are using the right tools 

and educating staff to change practices.

 Anti-  virus  software

 is well known as a tool to protect systems from viruses. Many busi-

nesses and homes now use products such as McAfee Virus Scan and Symantec Norton  Anti- 

 Virus to protect themselves against the threat of viruses. Unfortunately, a lot more action 

is required than initial purchase for the  anti-  virus software to be effective. New viruses are 

continually released so it is essential that regular updates be obtained.

Companies also need to decide on the frequency of scanning memory and computer files, 

since a full scan on start-up can take a long time. Most  anti-  virus software now seeks to iden-

tify viruses when they first arrive ( real-  time scanning). A further issue is how good the  anti- 

 virus tool is at identifying email and  macro-  viruses, since it is less straightforward for these 

types of virus to be identified.Another approach is to use an external