Triumvirate Technologies, Inc., as a public service to the Internet community, has compiled this report. It is intended for informational purposes only. We are not liable for any actions a person takes as a result of reading this report. You should consult your own computer technician or system administrator when implementing any virus protection program. © 2000-2001 Triumvirate Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. You have permission to send this document in its complete form to anyone you like. Mailbox Filter (Patent Pending) is a trademark owned by Triumvirate Technologies, Inc.

 
The purpose of this report is to provide you with basic information and clarification 
to some of the common myths about computer viruses and some practical steps to 
avoid them. In order to do this, it is important that you understand the definition of 
a computer virus, in simple terms, and how it can affect you through e-mail and 
other means.

WHAT IS A COMPUTER VIRUS?

"It is a Software Program used to infect a computer. After the virus program is 
written, it is buried within or attached to another "Harmless" program.  When the 
"Harmless" program is executed, the virus program is activated and attaches 
copies of itself to other programs in the system or makes copies of itself and 
sends them out through e-mail.  

Infected programs repetitively copy the virus to other programs. The effect of the 
virus may be a simple prank that pops up a message on your computer screen, 
or it may destroy programs and data. It can do this right away or on a certain date. 
It can lie dormant and do its damage once a year. For example, the Michelangelo 
virus contaminates the machine on Michelangelo's birthday.

In 1996, the National Computer Security Association claimed that only about 5% 
of the more than 6,000 known viruses are harmful.  The majority are benign and are 
more like pranks created for the sheer art of programming." (Source: The Computer 
Desktop Encyclopedia - second edition)

WHAT DOES A VIRUS DO?

For now, it's enough to understand that viruses are potentially destructive software 
that spreads from program to program or from disk to disk. Computer viruses, like 
biological viruses, need a host to infect; in the case of computer viruses this host 
is an innocent program, such as a word processor or a game.

Even though some viruses do not intentionally damage your data, we consider all 
viruses to be malicious software since they modify your programs without your 
permission with occasional disastrous results. The truth is, that if you have a virus, 
you are no longer in control of your PC. Every time you start up your PC or start a 
program the virus may also be opening and spreading its infection. 

Another way of looking at viruses is simply, to consider them to be a program, which 
can create copies of itself. These copies are inserted in other programs (infecting 
these programs). When one of these other programs is executed, the virus (which 
was inserted in that program) executes, and places copies of itself in even more 
programs.

WHAT IS THE MYTH ABOUT E-mail VIRUSES?

Does this sound familiar: "Don't read or open any e-mail titled JUST FOR YOU! 
It will destroy your computer!" Many of you have received e-mails warning you 
about reading a specific e-mail sent to you, going by a certain name 
(e.g.-"Just for You," etc.). These warnings tell you your computer will face 
certain doom if you open these e-mails and read them.  

The Truth is "YOU CANNOT GET A VIRUS OR ANY SYSTEM DAMAGING 
SOFTWARE BY READING A PLAIN TEXT E-mail MESSAGE". 

E-mail (that is, the Actual Text message) cannot contain executable viruses. 
A virus cannot exist in an e-mail Text message or newsgroup message posting 
or simply "float around" the Internet. Viruses and other system-destroying 
bugs can only exist in EXECUTABLE FILES, and since an e-mail Text message 
is not an executable file, viruses cannot exist there. 

While reading an e-mail Text message you are not allowing any malicious code to 
activate! Thus, no virus can "Come Alive".  

HOWEVER, if you (or your computer) download a FILE attached to an e-mail or 
newsgroup posting and click on it so it RUNS, there is a chance that the file 
could contain a virus, since an executable file could contain a virus.  

Executable files are not just files with the extension of ".EXE" but also ".COM",  
".BAT", ".VBS" and ".DOC" or ".WKS", etc. Those files which contain Executable 
instructions for Word Processors or Spreadsheet Programs or Database Procedures 
can all also contain harmful instructions for your computer.

It is therefore, very important that you DO NOT, under any circumstances, allow 
your e-mail program to automatically execute an attached file. YOU RISK INFECTION 
BY DOING SO!

That is why Mailbox FilterTM (Patent Pending) provides you with a high level of 
self-guided protection. It neutralizes these potentially harmful attachments 
before they can access your computer.

IS YOUR ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE PROGRAM ENOUGH?

In short, Antivirus software is simply a program that detects and removes viruses. 
The simplest kind scans"known" Executable files for a list of "known" viruses. 

Others are constantly active, attempting to detect the actions of general classes 
of viruses. Antivirus software must  include a regular update process or it quickly 
becomes ineffective.

The degree of effectiveness depends on the manufacturers ability to constantly 
update their program with detections for new viruses. Users must also update 
their software on a weekly basis. 

However, everyone is still vulnerable during the time it takes to find out about a 
virus, develop a detection and a cure for it and then get it copied onto all of the 
user's machines. Witness the "I Love YOU" virus.
 
This is where the most damage from a new virus comes from and where computer 
users are most vulnerable. Virus programmers know this!

Keeping your Antivirus program up-to-date is only one of many things you can do 
to keep yourself protected from disaster. You should make this a routine procedure 
to do so. 

However, even if you are keeping your virus program updated on a daily basis you 
can still get one of those unsuspected NEW viruses in your e-mail before a cure has 
been developed. This is where having a program like Mailbox FilterTM can keep you 
from getting a surprise attack!

In order to protect from virus attacks everyone should establish a basic list of 
actions that will help limit the risk of getting infected with one. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT VIRUSES!

     1. You can only get a virus by executing an infected program or opening an 
        infected diskette. A virus can infect any diskette unless it has the write 
        lock tab enabled.

     2. You cannot get a virus simply by being on a Bulletin Board Service (BBS), 
        the Internet, or an online service. You will only become infected if you 
        download an infected file and execute that file by clicking to open it. 
        This includes Java Programs used on some Web sites. If you are using the 
        Internet, your machine and networks should be password protected and 
        if you have continuous access through cable or DSL lines, you must 
        have a software or hardware "Firewall" to prevent destructive access.  

     3. You can get an e-mail that has a potentially harmful attachment which, 
        if opened, could spread a virus to your computer. The solution is to 
        neutralize all potentially harmful e-mail attachments before they get 
        into your computer using a program like Mailbox FilterTM 

     4. Common safe attachments that you can accept via e-mail have the 
        extension of .TXT, .JPG, .GIF. The most common, potentially harmful 
        attachment, is any file that has an .EXE, .COM or .BAT extension on 
        its file name. Remember you must verify an EXE file is safe to execute 
        with a Virus Detection software program before you do so!

     5. Remember that e-mail that has an attachment can be made to automatically 
        open once it is downloaded to your computer. It is best not to download 
        any e-mail with attachments without first neutralizing them. This should 
        be done in a safe area such as one provided by Mailbox FilterTM. 

     6. Make sure you have at least two backups for all of your unique data files 
        and a legal copy of all of your software on diskette or CD.  Backups are 
        essential not only to safely recover from virus infections, but also to 
        recover from the other threats to your data.

The bottom line is that viruses, spread through e-mail attachments, have reached epic 
proportions. The only real safety you have, is to never let any potentially harmful 
e-mail attachment into your computer unless you are 100% sure it is safe to open. 

Sometimes people forget to do this. That is why Mailbox FilterTM provides one of the best 
solutions: Neutralize e-mail attachments, in a safe environment, before it gets to 
your computer. 

To get your FREE TRIAL of Mailbox FilterTM go to:
www.mailboxfilter.com/download.html 

To find out more about Mailbox FilterTM go to:
www.mailboxfilter.com/about.html



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© 2000-2008 Triumvirate Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 
Mailbox Filter (Patent Pending) is a trademark owned by Triumvirate Technologies, Inc.