"You saved me hundreds of hours by recovering data off a damaged disk. Will recommend your service to anyone."
Read more testimonials...

Trusted and Guaranteed Data Recovery Service for All Brands and Media

Preventing Virus caused Data Loss

» Virus Protection

Tips to Prevent Viruses and Restore Lost Data

While not the biggest single cause, computer viruses and security vulnerabilites are still a major cause of data loss. Most experts agree that viruses, worms, trojan horses and other security threats account for about 10%-20% of all data recovery incidents!

Fortunately, there are a few simple precautions that everyone who uses a computer can follow to protect against losing data due to these threats.

What are viruses & what's the difference between a virus, a worm or a Trojan horse?

Viruses: A virus is a malicious manmade program or piece of code that operates on your computer, in many cases, without you knowing it exists. A virus is designed to run automatically (often taking over part of another program, even in some cases taking over part of the startup process of your computer) and is also designed to automatically replicate (or reproduce) itself to multiple files on your computer or even on other computers attached to a network. Some viruses are simply designed to be a nuisance (displaying annoying messages or offensive graphics, then replicating themselves), but others can be very dangerous and can delete files, damage programs, or even prevent access to entire disk drives.
Worms: A worm is a program that is designed to spread from computer to computer very quickly, often by sending itself to addresses in your e-mail program or users in your Instant Messaging application. Most worms will run automatically and don't rely on another program to start them.
Trojan Horses: A Trojan horse is also a malicious program designed to cause adverse effects, including data loss or even making your computer vulnerable to theft of data or hacking. However, Trojan horses disguise themselves as being safe, and often come in the form of a game, a joke, or even a tool that offers to rid your computer of viruses. Trojan horses will typically not replicate themselves, but can be very dangerous.

What are security threats or security vulnerabilities?

Security threats typically are a known vulnerabilities or weaknesses in an operating system or program you may use. Malicious hackers or organizations may attempt to use these vulnerabilities to run programs on your computer, access data on your computer, or even gain access to information that would normally be confidential, such as passwords or personal identification information. Because these vulnerabilities are easily exploited over the Internet, it is common for these security threats to affect programs used with the Internet, such as web browsers, e-mail clients, and even your operating system itself.

As security threats are identified, software manufacturers often release patches, updates, service packs, or instructions on how you can protect your computer against these vulnerabilities.

What can I do to protect my computer from viruses, worms, Trojan horses and security threats?

Use antivirus software. In today's world, computer users should consider virus protection software as an essential part of their computer. You can purchase antivirus software from several manufacturers at just about any store that sells computer software, and many companies offer free antivirus software for download.
Use an online virus scan if you can't install software on your computer. Several antivirus companies -- including Symantec, McAfee, and Trend Micro -- offer a free online virus scan on their website.
Keep your antivirus definitions up-to-date. New viruses, worms, and Trojan horses are developed all the time. All reputable antivirus software companies allow you to download updated "virus definitions" (this is what tells the antivirus software what viruses to check for) for free or for a small subscription fee. You should update your antivirus definitions at least once per week.
Run a thorough virus scan at least once a week. Many antivirus programs can automatically run in the background to watch for new bugs before they have a chance to cause damage. However, it's still recommended to run a thorough virus scan of your entire system at least once per week. This can be done manually, or most programs will also allow you to schedule this to occur when your computer isn't being used.
Scan all e-mail attachments before you send or receive them. Some antivirus programs also work with most popular e-mail clients and will automatically scan all incoming & outgoing mail for you. If your antivirus progam does not have this option, use your antivirus program to scan any attachments you receive in an e-mail before you open them. It is also a good idea to scan attachments before you send them to ensure that you aren't unknowingly spreading a virus.
Scan any files you receive through an chat or Instant Messaging program. Virus distributors love to use chat or Instant Messaging programs to distribute their work. Scan all files you receive through a chat or Instant Messaging program, and be especially careful if you do not know the person you are receiving the files from!
Configure your e-mail program to not automatically open new messages. Many viruses sent through e-mail take advantage of the fact that some e-mail programs will automatically try to preview or open a new message. Disabling this option will allow you to delete suspicious e-mail before displaying it, reducing the potential for a virus or other malicious program to be released on your computer.
Scan any floppy disk or other removable media before opening files on the disk. This is especially true if you have been given a disk by someone who you don't know.
Do not leave a floppy disk in the floppy disk drive when you restart the computer. Many viruses that are designed to affect the system BIOS or to format hard drives are intented to be triggered from a floppy disk during boot-up.
Watch out for unexpected Macros in Microsoft Office documents. While Macros in Microsoft Office documents are typically safe, they can also be used to trigger viruses. If you open a Microsoft Office document from someone you are not familiar with and it contains a Macro, do not allow the Macro to run. You should also not run a Macro if a document has a Macro and you know it should not.
Keep your operating system, web browser and other key applications up-to-date. Many security threats can be easily avoided by checking for software updates regularly. Microsoft offers two update services -- Windows Update and Office Update -- that will automatically check for all critical security updates as well as other recommended updates for Windows, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Office applications.
Backup often! Backing up regularly and keeping copies of your backup separate from your computer is a great way to protect against losing data to viruses. By keeping regular backups, you'll always be able to restore your files should they become infected or deleted. Once the backup is complete, remove the disk from the drive. This will prevent the backup disk from being infected as well should your system get a virus. Labeling your backup disks with the date of the backup will help you identify which disk(s) to restore from so that you restore a "clean" version of your files. (More backup strategies and tips...)

What are the current viruses & security threats? Where can I learn more about a specific virus?

Many antivirus software manufacturers provide a list of the current & recent viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and security advisories. In addition, these sites usually have a "virus database" containing more detailed information about specific viruses or threats.

For your convenience, we've listed most recent and highest-risk threats (as ranked by Symantec) to the right! This list also includes the most recent security advisories.

The newest viruses, worms, and Trojan horses are listed first. Next, the top threats are listed, with the most dangerous and/or most active threats listed first. The color-coded numbers next to each of the latests/top threats indicates the risk level associated with each threat.

Category 1 threats are "Very Low" risk (not very active and not likely to cause much damage).
Category 5 threats are "Very Severe" risk (spreads very easily, has infected a large number of systems, and are highly dangerous).
If a Category 3 ("Moderate") or higher is listed as a recently-discovered threat, you should update the virus definitions for your antivirus program now and run a virus scan immediately.

What should I do if I think I've already lost data due to a virus?

First, don't panic! In many cases, a virus simply may prevent you from accessing the data, but the data itself may still be intact.

If you believe the virus may still be present on your computer: If you have not already removed or cleaned the system of the virus, worm or Trojan horse, you'll want to begin by isolating your computer and checking for & cleaning the virus.

Isolate your computer
If the affected computer is a stand-alone computer, you can skip this step. However, if you are on a home or business network (such as a wireless network, LAN, or VPN connection), you'll want to do the following as soon as possible to protect other computers on the network:

Disconnect your computer from the network immediately. Since many viruses and worms are designed to spread through computer networks, this makes it impossible for the virus to spread out to other computers on the network.
If you are on a corporate/office network and have an IT department, Helpdesk, or System Administrator, notify them immediately that you think you may have been infected. This will allow them to react quickly in case the virus or worm was able to spread before you disconnected from the network. In many cases, they will also be happy to assist you with identifying any possible infection and cleaning it from your computer.

Checking for viruses
Once you've ensured that no other computers are at risk of becoming infected, it's time to try and identify any infections on the computer. If you have antivirus software installed on your computer, start by updating your virus definitions. If you do not have an antivirus program installed, try using an online virus scan (such as those listed earlier). These online virus scans are always up-to-date with the latest virus definitions, and in many cases may also be able to identify other security vulnerabilities.

If you are unable to connect to the Internet to download updated virus definitions or to run an online virus scanner, you'll most likely have two options (depending on the antivirus software you use):

Using a non-infected computer, download the latest virus definitions to a floppy disk or CD-RW disc, then manually update the virus definition file on the infected computer, or
Use the antivirus software on a non-infected computer to create a set of bootable floppy disks or a bootable CD disc that will be able to scan your computer as part of the start-up process.

Important: Before running a virus scan on your computer, be sure to disable the "automatic repair" options in the antivirus software. This will prevent the software from automatically deleting infected files.

With the antivirus software up-to-date, begin a full system scan of all drives and all file types. If an infection is found, the software should prompt you with what steps to take to remove the infection from your computer. In many cases, the infection can be removed without causing any data loss to occur.

If no infection was found, or if the data you were looking for is still not accessible after the virus scan has completed cleaning the infection, Iomega Data Recovery specialists are here and ready to help! Call us toll-free and one of our representatives will be more than happy to talk with you about what steps you've tried and what symptoms you've encountered.

If necessary, our specialists may recommend that you send in your media for our no-risk free diagnostic evaluation with one of our Data Recovery technicians. This includes a full in-lab diagnostic and an up-front no-obligation quote!