TIPS FOR PREVENTING VIRUSES You can prevent the spread of viruses fairly easily. Following are some useful tips: Whenever you surf the Web, only download programs or applications from reputable sites that you trust. Be especially cautious of email attachments. It’s best to scan them with a virus detection software prior to downloading, because they can often carry a virus. For more info, refer to: Our Tips for Handling Email Attachments. You can only get a virus when you run an infected program or document on your computer. When you download a file that you are not sure about, you can have an anti-virus software check the file before you use it.

			GETTING & USING VIRUS PROTECTION SOFTWARE

	Many Joink users have asked about virus protection software for their computers. While we already provide a level of email spam filtering and a virus scanning for you, we highly recommend the use of a stand alone virus protection software package. McAfee provides one of the best packages in the industry. If you need virus protection, use the link below to purchase and download quality protection from McAfee. McAfee Virus Protection Software Save $5 on McAfee VirusScan Online Important note: For your anti-virus software to be effective, you need to update it regularly. As new viruses appear, your virus software provider updates its virus library (dat file) and software. You have to install the update on your computer to be protected against the new viruses. McAfee Virus Software provides a subscription service that will automatically update your virus definitions. We highly recommend the use of this service. In short, the list of viruses is always expanding, so be sure to keep your anti-virus software current.

			VIRUS HOAXES

	Many users receive an occasional email alerting them to a new virus. Before concluding that the message you received is about a real virus, you can do some detective work to determine the validity of the message. The links below provides an overview of some of the more prevalent virus hoaxes: McAfee Virus Hoax List VMyths.com