After Installing VirusScan 8.0

• VirusScan will check for new virus definitions once per hour, at a random minute, whenever it is connected to the Internet. This is a lot more than necessary when there are no major virus outbreaks, but when there is a new worldwide threat, this can save you a whole boatload of grief; much better to check often and rarely find anything than to check too late and be burned. Note that you can always expect new virus definitions on Wednesdays (usually around 18:00 GMT), so you can check every Thursday morning, say, to be sure that auto updating is behaving properly.

  Here's how to check: right-click the VirusScan Shield icon in the System Tray (by the clock), and choose <About>. If you're current, it'll say "VirusScan 8.0.0." Then it lists the definitions version (5812) and engine (4.4.00).

  Consider this check similar to making sure your tire pressure is safe and your oil level is not too low.

• You can use the EICAR STANDARD ANTIVIRUS TEST FILE as a safe test to make sure that VirusScan is behaving as it should. (See instructions.)
• After VirusScan is installed, make sure that you have all critical Windows Updates installed.
• Unfortunately, there are threats out there that are not handled by antivirus software alone. We suggest that you implement as many things as you can from our Security Recommendations page.

by Bruce P. Burrell (bpb@umich.edu)
for the U-M Virus Busters (virus.busters@umich.edu)

Last Modified: 24 November, 2009

This information can be freely reproduced in any medium, as long as the information is unmodified.

virus.busters@umich.edu

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