More Tips on Avoiding Viruses

For your antivirus software to be effective, it must be updated regularly. New viruses appear weekly, and only updated antivirus software can detect them. Some antivirus services charge a yearly subscription fee for updates.

Things not to do: be cautious when opening files that were created or edited on another computer, as they might contain a virus. Never open a file sent to you by e-mail, even if it's from someone you know, before checking with the person to see if it's legitimate. Why? Viruses can send copies of themselves to other computers and make it look like someone you know sent you that message. Such viruses are often called "worms." Confirm in a separate e-mail if someone actually sent you a file - and even then don't open it until you have antivirus software on your computer.