h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

DONT PANIC
Tiny bits of advice for life in the Universe.
By Agnes Microbe,
Hitchhikers Guide Field Researcher 141498 Dec. 20,2000

In the last couple of months I have come across a few virus attacks in my email. Only one of them was really nasty, it deleted every picture file on the hard drive. (thank the gods for backups.) Other viruses, (or virii), rend the computer system inoperable. Up to this point, (in ten years or so), I have never really come across many viruses at all. However, in the last week Ive been hit twice.

Whats an emailer to do?
First, dont panic, these things are meant to make people afraid and to spread fear and chaos through the masses.

Second, if you get an email from someone you never heard of, dont open it. Delete it right away. Even especially those that promise youve won 23 bazillion dollars, and so on. Others to watch for are emails with attachments ending in exe, scr, or vbs.
Example: dwarf4you.scr or the recently famous navidad.exe

Third, purchase a copy of anti-virus software and update it and your Windows software regularly. Norton or McAfee have fine products. Ask your local computer person for details.

Last, backup backup and then backup your data. In other words, if you want to keep your stuff safe, make backups. This may sound redundant but, if you want to keep your stuff safe, make backups. Oh yes, if you want to keep your stuff safe, make backups. You have been warned.

Why do people do this sort of thing? Who knows? Probably bored or hateful or vindictive. At any rate its a shame that their talents are wasted on such a negative pursuit.