But some may still be unclear how to protect themselves from similar attacks in the future. This article briefly summarizes common virus hazards and suggests some practical security measures. A virus attaches itself to a file or disk boot sector and replicates itself to other files or disks in an effort to spread.
Worms can take several forms, but typically they come as forwarded email containing an attachment.
When the attachment is opened, the worm then installs and executes itself, performing any number of annoying or destructive actions, including sending itself to people in the recipient's email address book and infecting or deleting files. This virus is pernicious, using Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express to send itself to everyone in an address book from these programs, and destructively replacing files. This is the number-one rule of safe computing. Install an antiviral program and keep it updated. Other commercial antiviral tools include Virex, Sophos Sweep, F-Prot Professional, and McAfee's VirusScan.