This is the second in a series of twelve articles written by Orthus for the non-technical managers at small to medium sized companies who operate smaller networks and may lack a sophisticated in-house information technology department. Step 2 Look Out for E-Mail Attachments and Internet Download Modules Cost: Minimal – No additional investment Technology skill level: Low to medium Participants: Everyone using the electronic facilities WHY? One of the most common methods of transferring computer viruses.
Recently, attackers have become adept at capturing address books and embedding viruses in attachments that appear to come from people you know. Companies should have strict policies about what can and cannot be downloaded or opened on their systems. You share important information via e-mail and attachments allow us to send reports, copies of files, spreadsheets, photos, cartoons, music, etc.
Any task that you can do on your computer, this program can also do. If you delete a file, send e-mail, or add or remove a program, your newly installed program can do this too. And an intruder can do these tasks, unbeknownst to you, through the program you have just installed and run. WHAT HAPPENS IF I’M NOT CAREFUL? E-mail text, e-mail attachments, and download modules are excellent conduits for malicious code.
For any small business, losing their online security can be very damaging. I would recommend using a proper online security system for all business computers.