Security!
- I think I have a virus or have been emailed/sent a virus. What should I do?
-
First, check to see if the email has an attachment that says "Virus_Detected_And_Removed.txt"; this is a message stating that Pepperdine's anti-virus program on the email server itself has already sanitized the message.
- Don't ever click a link in a suspicious message; links go to other websites, which cannot be tested and cleaned by Pepperdine's scanner.
- Note: If you have received your email another email provider--e.g., Yahoo--you will not receive this protection.
- Note that you don't need to be using Outlook to receive Pepperdine's protection; all email is cleaned before being shown to you.)
Second, check to see if the email or other suspicious activity is on the list of top current viruses and hoaxes (note: hoaxes at bottom). Examining the characteristics of each of those emails can take some time; if you are confused, skip to the next step.
Third, remember that email viruses (like spam) are not actually from the "sender" on the email (in order to make the source of the infection harder to find). The "sender's" email address was actually just harvested from another source, such as the Internet or an infected computer, and then "spoofed," or faked. Therefore, do not email the "sender" back unless you think there is a legitimate chance that it is a real email/attachment. In that case, EMAIL THE SENDER TO FIND OUT if they really sent it. This should not be embarrassing to you or to them; this is now a fact of life. (Also, keep in mind that YOUR address can be spoofed, too. Therefore, receiving a "Cannot Deliver Message" or inquiry from someone else about an infected message supposedly sent by you DOES NOT INDICATE that you have a virus.)
Fourth, to check whether you are infected by a virus (using the anti-virus scanner installed on Pepperdine machines; for home machines, instructions will vary):
- Right click on the blue Trend icon, located on the bottom right corner of your
screen (a.k.a. the system tray).
- Choose OfficeScan Main
- Select the drive(s) you want to scan and choose Scan Drives
- Let Trend run and it will report whether you have a virus, as well as whether or not Trend cleaned or quarantined the virus.
Fifth, if Trend is not available, or you believe Trend to be out-of-date (i.e., you haven't connected to the Pepperdine network recently), or if you are working on your home computer, and you have access to the Internet, try visiting Trend-Micro's free "House-Call" service.
Finally, if you do have a virus or you are still unsure, please report the situation to the Law Computing Support Office immediately. (Note that LCS's support for non-Pepperdine-owned machines generally limited to advice such as that found on this website.)
More information can be found on the Help Desk's website.
© 2007 Pepperdine University School of Law