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Data Recovery Resource

Data Loss and Virus Prevention

Never underestimate the power of a virus to render a system inoperable, or cause widespread data corruption. These effects may be unintentional, even for the creator, as viruses are well known for containing software bugs. Although viruses can often be removed by anti-virus products, the damage done to program or data files may sometimes be irreparable.

As with most cases, prevention is better than cure. While the number of viruses continues to grow in leaps and bounds, careful preventative measures can greatly reduce the chances of infection. Here are a few of the most important steps that can be taken:

Anti-virus
Install a virus detection and anti-virus product. This is the single most important step that can be taken to prevent virus infection. Make sure that 'live scanning' is enabled so that files are scanned as they are copied or accessed. If possible, include email, as this is one of the main sources of viruses.

Update
Virus definitions must be updated regularly. If possible, they should be updated automatically as they become available, or at least manually on a regular schedule. Unless you do this your system is not being properly protected.

BIOS
Many computer BIOSes include an option that is usually called 'virus protection'. This puts a simple check in place to ensure that disk writes to the boot sector are caught and the user notified, which protects against boot sector viruses.

Software
While infections from commercial software do happen, they are extremely rare. However, software obtained through peer-to-peer networks or from illegal sources has a much higher chance of being infected. Be more diligent about checking files obtained from higher-risk sources.

Access
Carefully control who has access to your PC, even over a network. Secure shared folders with an access password, and make sure that the files there are scanned regularly.