We got a Virus :( & It's Not the Flu

Last week I come in and turn on my computer and all kinds of weird things start happening, my start menu doesn't work, apparently something wasn't talking to something else (I have tech speak down pat, NOT! :)  Then Outlook decides it doesn't want to be looked at or in.  Things are not looking good, in this day and age it doesn't matter what business you are in, you can not live without your files, your emails and your internet, especially since so many of our daily tasks involve getting on the internet. 

So what do we do, PANIC!!!!  Yes!, then we call our office tech guy and start praying.  Thank goodness he is a wonder because it was a short term illness, but we got quite a few "prescriptions" otherwise known as things we should do, things we should not do!  I have listed some things below that will help keep those nasty little bugs from getting in to your computer. 

• If you go to a web page and pop-ups open up, they are either ads or worse.  Don’t click them, close them, and ignore them.  If you did not intend for that specific window to open, you probably don’t need it.
• If you get an e-mail with just a link in it, delete it.  Don’t open it, don’t load images, just delete it.  If it is from a friend, they probably got a similar e-mail and clicked the link, causing these e-mails to be sent to you. 
• If you get a call from a stranger telling you to do something on your computer, hang up on them. 
• If you get a call or e-mail saying that someone is in some other country without their passport or money, or they need to be bailed out of jail, it is most definitely a scam. If it is a name you recognize, call that person first and verify.  Seriously though does anyone fall for this one anymore, hopefully not!
• If you won or inherited money from some fund or some unknown relative, it is highly unlikely that you would be notified via e-mail.  This is what probating a will and lawyers are for!
• Don’t download anything you didn’t mean to download.  Newer versions of Windows will ask if you trust the software provider before installing, so before installing new software, ask yourself the same question: Do you trust this software provider, or know what it is installing? It won’t hurt to search for some reviews about the manufacturer or the product before you pay for or install it.
• When in doubt, run a search.  If you aren’t sure if the e-mail you received is a scam, do some research.  Paste some lines of text into Google, or try looking it up Snopes.com – one of the best resources on the net.

We got our little bug by going to a website that we had never been too, so beware, because even the above rules did not apply to us. 

Course the next panic was time to buy a new computer, because its just plain old and not able to handle all the information we need to keep on it.  But that is a whole different story!