Virus Protection: F-Prot

presented by InternetU.org

Please click here to start downloading the F-prot zip file (version 3.12b) (F-prot is a shareware program. Please read licensing information.)

WARNING:
Q: When do I get the updates for fprot and how do I make it work?

A: If you are going to depend on AV (antivirus) software, you should check for updates several times a day. This process should never be automated. (Your best bet is to check with the organization's website, depending on the version that you choose to use. We only use the DOS version.)

Please remember AV software is not fail-safe! Viruses can turn it off... back doors can be left open, etc. If you have detected a virus on your computer, you should assume the worst.

OUR RECOMMENDATION is to NOT depend on antivirus software. Almost all viruses can be prevented by reviewing your email on-line. Do not download email onto your computer without reading it first.

In the realm of personal computers, there are a host of items necessary to maintain the health of your machine. Among the most prominent items is virus protection software. The virus software that comes with most computers is outdated before the computer is even out of the box. So, it is extremely important that individuals using personal computers regularly check their machines with the most recent version of a proven anti-virus program (ie. reliable virus software programs are constantly updated).

Viruses can completely scramble and damage existing files on your computers' hard drive, to the point that these files are lost forever. Can you imagine recreating months or years of data? A daunting and nearly impossible task.

From our experience, viruses are usually contracted via floppy disks or from other known sources. As an internet service provider we have not encountered a virus being contracted randomly over the internet. All known internet transferred viruses have been through specific application files (like a Word Document or Excel Spreadsheet) or through viruses written to propagate over Microsoft servers.

Care should be taken with files that "a friend" has emailed. As long as you download material from a reputable website, you should not encounter internet viruses.

If you would like a copy of proven anti-virus software, you can download the latest shareware version of F-Prot. All you need do is:

1. create a directory on your computer called "fprot"
2. download the F-prot .zip file (see the top of the page)
3. select your new fprot directory as the download destination
4. use pkunzip to "un-zip" F-Prot
5. start F-Prot from Window's Explorer, a DOS prompt, file manager, "my computer", etc.