Logan Daily News

Net Watch
by Bob Green

The word for today children is VIRUS. After last week's delightful episode with home maintenance woes, it appears that this week's challenge is how to deal with a computer virus. I suppose that it was only a matter of time playing around in the Internet that the inevidible should happen to me. But it's like being in an automobile accident; you never think it will ever actually happen to you until it does. One of the first questions that arises is "why would anyone want to do something like this? I mean, what kind of a sicko, demented cretan would want to create a program that would indescriminately destroy peoples files and work? Sharing my sorrows with someone else, they told about a virus someone brought into their company that completely destroyed a large project they had spent many hours working on. Untold millions of dollars of damage are caused each year by these insidious programs. Different viruses do different things. One virus that was reported several years ago caused the letters on the monitor to fall into a pile on the bottom of the screen. This could be almost funny, but it wiped out all the files in the computer as well. Definately not funny. Other viruses destroy certain files. The one that I have somehow contracted is called "Antiexe". It apparently destroys all the files with the exe extension. Now what exactly does this mean in layman's terms. Well, an exe file is kind of like the starter on a car. You can have the most elegant luxury car in the world with a fantastic and powerful engine, but without a starter, the car is useless. That about sums it up for my computer. No, it's not the most luxurious computer in the world, it's just useless. The starters for all my programs have been zapped. These menacing destructive programs can be passed along without your ever being aware of it. Sometimes they will lay dormant for a long period of time and can then be activated whenever a certain combination of words or keys are input. This means you can pass that along to others through E-mail or copied disks. Try giving your boss an infected program that crashes the corporations mainframes and your popularity will plummet nearly as quickly as your career. Your friends won't like you very well either. You see, it doesn't matter that you didn't know; all that matters is that you passed along the "cooties".

So how do you keep from getting the computer black plague of the week? First of all, it is very important to take precautions. Sticking your head in the sand on this one isn't going to work. No matter how vehemntly you state that "it can't happen here", if you or anybody you know who shares or trades files with you is involved in the Internet or other online services, you are exposed.. The first thing you need to do is keep a frequent back up of all your important files. In addition, keep the program master disks in a safe but accessible place. Make a bootable system disk that can be used to start up the machine if necessary and also store that in a safe place. Buy a good anti-virus program like the Mcafee Virus Protection program. This can be acquired at virtually any software store and when loaded into your computer, it will catch and destroy viruses before they can do any damage. Don't rely too heavily on any anti-virus program due to the fact that new viruses are being developed all the time. Really, the best protection that you can provide for yourself is frequent backups of your most important work. I think the real key is just to remain aware that you are not immune to these types of attacks. Preparation will help you to contain the damage that otherwise could really mess up your life. No matter how well prepared you are, though, it won't stop you from feeling as though you have been violated, similar to the way people feel when their house is broken into.

My grandmother loved to use old cliches and one of her favorites was that every cloud had a silver lining. I think that was definately the case with this virus experience that I've had this week. Actually it provided me with an analogy to use in my Sunday School class. This was good because so much of my study time was consumed in trying to deal with the problem. The lesson focused on one of the greatest commandments which is to love your neighbor as yourself. When people actually do this, it makes for a good community and enriches individuals lives. In essense, it's the way the program is supposed to run. When people start putting themselves up to be higher than others, when they become discriminatory, when they cease to show the mercy that's been shown to them, and when they start slandering others, these attitudes and actions are similar to the Antiexe virus that struck my machine. They kill the ability to do the positive action and instead lead the individual onto a destructive path. If unchecked, these attitudes can create damage that may never be repaired.. I admonished my class to recognize and do away with these attitudes whenever and wherever they might crop up. I also encouraged them to reboot if necessary with a clean disk and of course pointed them to the One who could provide it.

Well, it appears that my space is up, so surf safe and have fun until we meet again.