| Four years ago I made a website about | | | | Some of her children were also fond of using |
| protecting computers from viruses because, | | | | internet relay chat (IRC) and/or using some |
| quite honestly, I just felt sorry for | | | | form of file sharing software like Kazaa or |
| someone. | | | | somesuch. Using these kinds of programs are |
| | | | an invitation to disaster as well. |
| It all started when my sister-in-law's | | | | |
| personal computer at home was being infected | | | | The clincher, as you would have guessed by |
| by one form of virus or another at the rate | | | | now, is that she never installed any form of |
| of about once a month. That was almost tragic | | | | anti virus program on her computer. |
| because of the amount of data that was being | | | | |
| lost, time wasted and money being needlessly | | | | Therefore, drawing from real-life experience |
| spent on computer repair. In most of the | | | | motivated me to create a website of this |
| virus infection incidents, her hard disk had | | | | nature. It is indeed amazing and perhaps sad |
| to be reformatted not to mention some of the | | | | to a certain extent that some people do not |
| other hardware components were being damaged. | | | | take computer protection seriously. Not that |
| | | | the world is going to end unless you secure |
| A lot of instances, the virus infection could | | | | your computer, but if something like what was |
| have been prevented. At that time, her | | | | just described happened to you, you would |
| computer was running on Windows 98 and she | | | | probably have saved yourself a lot of grief |
| never upgraded the browser, Interent Explorer | | | | if any sort of precaution was taken. |
| version 4, to begin with. She was also using | | | | |
| the Outlook Express program that came with | | | | For more than a year now, my sister-in-law's |
| Win 98 for her emails and never upgraded it. | | | | computer has been working without any more |
| She or maybe someone in her family was fond | | | | troubles after heeding the advice of a |
| of carelessly forwarding "chain" emails like | | | | brother-in-law. She's updated her browser and |
| jokes and prayers. Needless to say, all that | | | | email software and installed an anti virus |
| junk mail that was being dumped on others | | | | program. As for her kids, they had to take |
| came back to haunt her. She started receiving | | | | the bitter medicine-no more online chats and |
| emails with attachments that were actually | | | | file-sharing software. I never asked her, but |
| viruses. And using an unpatched Outlook | | | | I'm sure in the back of her mind she must |
| Express on those kinds of email is like | | | | have thought that all the headache and |
| leaving the doors and windows of your house | | | | needless expenses could have been avoided if |
| wide open. Sooner or later, something bad is | | | | she had only taken some simple steps to |
| bound to happen. | | | | protecting her computer. |
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