Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!think.com!linus!progress!matth From: matth@progress.COM (Matthew J. Harper) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc Subject: Re: Is Virus a Real Threat? Message-ID: <1990Dec12.143341.7923@progress.com> Date: 12 Dec 90 14:33:41 GMT References: <80330002@hpl-opus.hpl.hp.com> Sender: news@progress.com (The News User) Organization: Progress Software Corp., Bedford, MA Lines: 45 Nntp-Posting-Host: ericf knotts@hpl-opus.hpl.hp.com (Tom Knotts) writes: >I was recently warned by someone that the computer viri are everywhere, and >that if I didn't get an anti-viral program soon, I would likely lose all >of my data. Who was this person? You guessed it: a sales person. ^^^^^^^^^^^^ My personal experience with sales people in the computer realm is that on the AVERAGE they cannot answer any of my real questions. I put little faith in sales people until they prove to me they can understand some of the technical *stuff* behind my questions. I have met some very competent ones though. Viruses are real. However, if you are careful, you will not get bitten by the bug. If you take software from anyone, legal or not (that's another issue, lets keep it that way :-), make sure you know where it came from. Shareware is a wonderful thing, and many places will provide guarantees for the disks they sell. This is not to say that it will not contain a virus, but It's better than just buying from some fly-by-night company (or from the trunk of some guys car...). I have an anti-viral program. I have never needed it for myself. I helped a friend fix his machine. He went on and on about this virus he had that kept killing his machine, but the viral detection software he bought did not work. It turned out he had a corrupted .EXE that was doing it (a real wonder why the software did not find anthing...) Sooooo, I now have the software. Just be careful, do regular backups, and you will be fine. Always know who has access to the machine(s) in question too. Many places of work are destined for getting a virus because anyone can do anything on the machines. I do not know anyone AT ALL who has suffered from a hit. How many people? A couple of hundred that I can be sure of. Judge for yourself. Matth -- Matthew J. Harper UUCP: mit-eddie!progress!matth Progress Software Corp. Internet: matth@progress.com 5 Oak Park Disclaimer: My words & ideas, That's all. Bedford, MA 01730