|
|
|
|
Anti-Virus
Activity Information
Emails containing Virus content present
an ongoing risk to all Internet users.
Some Virii do nothing other than self
propagate, where their sole aim is
to infect as many computers as possible,
from where they'll spread to yet more
computers. Others however, can be
far more malicious. Some Virii delete
system files, some cause system crashes,
some infect other parts of your system
or your work.
Over recent years, the problems caused
by Virii such as Melissa, I-Love-You,
Nimda, and as of October 2002 BugBear,
have been so quick to infect systems
and so damaging that they have been
mentioned on national TV & Newspapers
that don't normally pay much attention
to the IT industry. Virii are a real
problem that are here to stay!
So with all the doom and gloom surrounding
the ongoing Virus related problems,
what can be done? For our part, ITC
scan every email passed through our
systems with up to date Virus definitions,
and block messages sent that contain
Virus content. We also automatically
send notification messages to both
the sender and recipient of the blocked
message informing them of the Virus
that we located, and that it was blocked.
If you are reading this page, you
might well have been referred by such
a message.
There are also several things that
individuals and businesses can do
to reduce the risk of being infected:
- Run local Anti-Virus Software
- Regularly Update your Anti-Virus
definition files
- Don't open messages/attachments
from unknown senders
- Use an ISP who virus scans your
email.
|
 |
Current
Virus Activity |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The 'Current Virus Activity' information
on the right hand side of the screen, kindly
provided by Trend
Micro, provides an up to date list of
the Virii that are currently most active.
This list changes regularly because after
an outbreak, AntiVirus software manufacturers
release updated Virus Definition Files,
which when applied to a user's system not
only clean the virus but should also prevent
it from re-infecting the same system. This
is why it's so important to keep your definition
files up to date.
If you have more Virus related questions,
please check out our Frequently
Asked Questions section at the bottom
of this page. If you require further assistance,
please contact
us with details.
Definition Files
At the present time, our mailservers scan
all messages delivered by our network using
3 independent anti-virus programs in order
to provide the maximum level of protection
possible to ourselves and our clients. All
3 programs automatically update their definition
files at regular intervals, ensuring that
our systems are as up to date as is possible.
This solution has managed to prevent serious
problems during the last couple of virus
outbreaks.
Frequently Asked Questions
|
Anti Virus FAQ |
|
|
|
|
|
Q. |
I received a message from MAILER-DAEMON@itcinternet.com - HELP! |
A. |
Firstly, don't panic. The receipt of this message normally means that a virus was blocked prior to transmission, so your infected-status should remain unchanged.
What is important to read carefully is the 2nd line of text in the alert message, starting 'A virus was found ...'. At the end of that sentance, you are told if the virus was sent to or from your address.
If it was sent to your address, you don't need to be alarmed. The email is merely notifying you that someone (details further on in the message) attempted to send you an email which was infected. The message was blocked by our mailserver, and you are not at risk.
If the message was sent from your address, there is a possibility that your system is infected, and you should run some Anti-Virus software across your system to check for vulnerabilities. |
|
|
|
Q. |
If you are virus-checking my email, do I still need Anti-Virus software on my PC? |
A. |
Absolutely! With AV software, it's definitely a case of the more, the merrier! Despite our best efforts to protect your email, we cannot guarantee that no infected files will ever get through, due to the dynamic nature of the Virus world today. You should think of our AV systems as 'another' line of defense, rather than the 'only' line of defense.
It's also worth noting that email is only one of the services that can transmit virii onto your machine; They can also come in from software, downloads, CD/DVDs, Floppy Disks, networks, and of course the Internet. For protection against these services, you should run and regularly update Anti-Virus software on your machine. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You may also be interested in reading our Email FAQ
|
