But there are some steps you can take. Here’s a primer on how to inoculate yourself:
1 DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING This is one of the few, blessed occasions where sloth helps. Ignoring a file that arrived from the Net is one of the most potent ways to stop a virus in its tracks. A virus is a mini-program. If you don’t run the program, it won’t bite you. Your Internet browser will also allow you to prevent little Net-borne programs from running on your machine if you instruct it to. If you do see an attached file, even from a friend, ask the friend whether he intended to send you the file. In the meantime, keep your curiosity in check as best you can. Richard M. Smith, a well-regarded Internet-security consultant, reminds us: “Curiosity killed the cat.” Add all your files to that obituary if you open the attachment.
2 UPDATE YOUR VIRUS SOFTWARE Most antivirus programs won’t recognize an entirely new virus breed. They work by keeping a library of software “fingerprints” of known offenders. This doesn’t help when some new breed hits you before antivirus vendors have a chance to update their programs (in that case, refer to step one). But frequently updating your software helps avoid infection. And security experts are growing tired of giving out that same advice. “We should get a nickel from every antivirus company every time we say it,” moans William Cheswick, chief scientist of Lucent Technologies’ new Net-security venture. He says he won’t open an attachment until after he reads the next morning’s newspapers.
3 MAKE BACKUPS This option is as tedious as reorganizing your sock drawer, and it can require dozens of diskettes and more time than you care to spend. Antivirus programs can clean an infected machine. But they can’t restore files that are near and dear to you. There are programs that may help retrieve deleted files, but security experts warn that they must be used soon after the unintended deletion. Backups, stored on a separate floppy disk, are the best way to reconstitute your digital self. And after a scourge like last week’s, you’ll be glad you went to the trouble to make them.
