ShareThisProtecting against these new computer viruses, which so far are aimed at PCs running Windows, is hard -- and sometimes impossible.Updated antivirus software works unless the malware writers get ahead of the antivirus vendors, which is what happened with the new Trojan. Computer Associates, for example, just began protecting against it last week.While some advise disabling Autorun in Windows, which allows devices to run automatically when they're plugged into a USB port, it's not a failsafe. Doing so requires some computer expertise, and this Trojan re-enables Autorun if it's turned off, according to Brian Grayek of Computer Associates. "If you plug in (the frame), you're already infected," he said.Deborah Hale of SANS suggested that PC users find friends with Macintosh or Linux machines and have them check for malware before plugging any device into a PC.She also recommended backing up data with an online service such as Mozy.com that offers free backup for home users with less than 2 gigabytes of data. But it does not back up the operating system, she warned. If you're attacked and your PC fails, you'll have to reformat and reload all of the programs.If you think you bought an infected device, e-mail SANS at info(at)sans.org and contact your retailer.(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
Protecting against viruses
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