RecoveringfromaTrojanHorseorVirus.pdfVIP

Recovering from a Trojan Horse or Virus Michael D. Durkota and Will Dormann It can happen to anyone. Considering the vast number of viruses and Trojan horses traversing the Internet at any given moment, it’s amazing it doesn’t happen to everyone. Hindsight may dictate that you could have done a better job of protecting yourself, but that does little to help you out of your current predicament. Once you know that your machine is infected with a Trojan Horse or virus (or if your machine is exhibiting unexpected behavior and you suspect that something is wrong), what can you do? If you know what specific malicious program has infected your computer, you can visit one of several anti-virus web sites and download a removal tool. Chances are, however, that you will not be able to identify the specific program. Unfortunately your other choices are limited, but the following steps may help save your computer and your files. 1. Call IT support If you have an IT support department at your disposal, notify them immediately and follow their instructions. 2. Disconnect your computer from the Internet Depending on what type of Trojan horse or virus you have, intruders may have access to your personal information and may even be using your computer to attack other computers. You can stop this activity by turning off your Internet connection. The best way to accomplish this is to physically disconnect your cable or phone line, but you can also simply “disable” your network connection. 3. Back up your important files At this point it is a good idea to take the time to back up your files. If possible, compile all of your photos, documents, Internet favorites, etc., and burn them onto a CD or DVD or save them to some other external storage device. It is vital to note that these files cannot be trusted since they are still potentially infected. (Actually, it’s good practice to back up your files on a regular basis so that if they do get infected, you might ha