Think of it as a FBI's Most Wanted List. Without an updated file, your Anti-Virus software won't detect new Viruses. Bryn Mawr College faculty, staff and students are encouraged to install free Anti-Virus software on their computer. Be very cautious about e-mail attachments. This is the most common way to spread Viruses.
Some recent Viruses use the victim's address book to send copies of itself.
Some macro virus protection tools are built into some versions of Microsoft Office while other tools must be installed separately. This will prevent the virus from spreading to your original disk. Avoid sharing computer programs and system disks Back up your files. Viruses are a good reason to keep an extra copy of your documents.