Windows virus protection

If you are running Windows, you should run an up-to-date anti-virus program on your PC. Not only will it protect you against the most common viruses, but it will also detect many (but not all) of the the backdoors and trojans that an intruder might install on your PC.

Attachments & trojans

Running anti-virus software is not a cure-all or a substitute for other security practices. There is always some time delay between the introduction of a virus and its incorporation into the anti-virus software's database. Backdoors and trojans can also be designed to hide from virus detection programs. For those reasons:

Do not run open e-mail attachments unless you know the sender, expect an attachment from that person, and the subject line of the mail and type of attachment "make sense". Note that:
- Microsoft never sends out patches via e-mail.
- SCS Facilities will never send you an email message with an attachment in it without prior notice.
Do not run programs from untrusted sources.

Spam emailers and Email viruses have the ability to forge headers of messages making it seem like it is coming from someone you know, but it really is not. If you check the full headers (off-site link, will open in a new window) of the email message, you will see the actual origin of the message.

How to obtain anti-virus software

CMU has a site license for Norton Anti-virus. Our license agreement allows CMU (though not CERT or SEI) staff, faculty, and students to install this software on CMU-owned and personally-owned PCs. All Facilities-installed SCS PCs should already have a copy of Norton installed. If you have a PC that you need to install it on, you may get a copy of Norton from:

The PC_DIST folder on Monolith.
The myandrew service provided by CMU Computing Services.

Keeping virus definitions up-to-date

Most Facilitized SCS PCs should automatically pick up new virus definitions each night. To manually update your virus definitions:

Right click on the yellow shield on your taskbar or select the Norton Anti-virus application under the Start|Programs menu on your PC).
Click on the "LiveUpdate" button.
Make sure that the LiveUpdate is configured to get updates from the "local network" and and click "Next".
Click "Finish" after the definitions have finished downloading.

Dealing with a virus infection

On most Facilitized PCs, the anti-virus software is configured to do a scan of your PC at 5:30 AM every morning. If the software tells you that a virus is detected on your PC, and if your PC is supported by SCS Facilities, send mail to help+pc@cs.cmu.edu or contact the SCS Help Desk (x8-4231; M-F, 9-5) for help in removing it.

If your machine is not supported by SCS Facilities, or if you wish to attempt to fix it yourself, see the Symantec virus database for information on how to deal with the specific virus your PC is infected with. Note that many viruses and worms create backdoors and make system changes that may require special cleanup procedures. If you do not fully clean-up after such an infection, it's possible that your machine will be broken into via the backdoor that it creates.