FILE:SAFE COMPUTIN A1 (SEM191) 2/28/90 13:38:33 These days, it's more important than ever to practice safe computing, since viruses are everywhere, and, unfortunately, there are some for which there are no vaccines. While it's true that the only absolutely safe computing is no computing at all, there are some things you can do to minimize the risk. By heeding the following safety guidelines, you can drastically reduce your chances of spreading computer viruses. Be faithful to your own computer. If you're not using other computers, you can't bring a virus back to your own computer. Be selective - don't "compute around". Before using a new computer, find out about its computing history (who's computed on it and when) in order to determine what the risk factor is. Write protect tabs are very important to prevent getting a virus on your disk. Regarding write protect tabs, a good motto to follow is, "Put it on before you put it in". Remember that your disk is very fragile. You should always treat your disk with respect. Don't go around putting your disk into just any computer. Always keep your disk in its protective sleeve. Be sure that any person to whom you entrust your disk is someone whom you trust completely. Keeping your disk clean is also very important. Never allow any foreign matter to build up on your disk. Remember:rough computing is NOT safe computing. Your entire computing system is composed of fragile equipment. Be especially careful to avoid getting any fluids on the mainframe, any input/output ports, or on the floppies. When you're dealing with floppies, you'll find it relatively simple to just "turn off" the computer, thus preventing the spread of any viruses. However, a virus can survive on a hard drive. Therefore, once your system has gone from floppy to hard, you will find it much more difficult to stop yourself from spreading any viruses you may have. Remember:these days, when you compute with someone else's computer, you're also computing with every other computer with which that person's computer has ever computed. |