A virus is a malicious program that installs itself on your computer without your authorization and may cause damage to your computer’s data or to other computers on a network.
The first step to avoiding a virus infection is to be sure that your computer has self-updating anti-virus software installed. If you are an eligible Social Sciences faculty, staff or student, you can download and install the University’s site-licensed CrowdStrike anti-virus program.
The program has some configurable options that may be confusing to you. Please contact us for help with Endpoint configuration issues.
Other steps include:
- Be sure that your computer is automatically getting all security updates.
- Avoid downloading or installing any software if you are not sure that it came from a legitimate source. In particular, peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing programs are notorious for introducing viruses disguised as legitimate programs.
- Avoid responding to web browser pop-up windows that offer to “fix” problems with your computer. Close such windows by clicking on the X icon in the upper right-hand corner of the window, not by clicking on any buttons displayed within the window.
- Do not open email attachments if they seem suspicious, even if you recognize the sender’s address.
- Make sure that your computer’s software firewall is turned on.