Step 1) Go to the Sophos website and download the latest copy of the Sophos Antivirus for Windows. You may have to accept their terms and provide an email ID during free registration. Download Sophos Antivirus for Linux Step 2) The downloaded package is a compressed archive file. It should look like sav-linux-free-9.tgz. The version … Read more
Nope. Well, not yet. Pictures are just data files that are read by special programs. But, someday, someone may come up with a picture file format that accommodates the inclusion of computer instructions — for whatever purpose someone dreams up. Are you thinking “macro virus” right now? So am I. Anytime someone comes up with … Read more
To date there are three primary types of viruses that exist today: file-infector viruses, which attach themselves to program files; boot-sector viruses, which install themselves in a hard drive’s or floppy disk’s boot sector; and macro viruses, which burrow into Microsoft Word and Excel documents. Details on each of these three follow. File infector As … Read more
In the mid-to-late 1980s, data was most often transferred from computer to computer by using floppy disks and so-called bulletin board systems (BBSs), managed online locations that were the forerunners of today’s Web sites. Stowing away on floppy disks Even without using the Internet, people in offices where PCs were used traded and circulated programs, … Read more
In 1991, Symantec released the first version of Norton AntiVirus. Norton was a popular brand name among computer technophiles from the well-known and successful Norton Utilities program. Programs like Norton AntiVirus are designed to find and eliminate viruses from a computer, usually with three goals in mind: Make the virus stop doing harm to the … Read more
Signature updates are your antivirus program’s ammunition. Without regular signature updates, your antivirus program quickly becomes dependent on unreliable ammo — which is to say, practically useless. Fortunately, getting the good new stuff is pretty straightforward, whether you do it manually or automatically. Manual updates Antivirus programs permit you to do signature file updates “on … Read more