Current Alerts:
All users are advised to execute a Live Update through your Symantec
Antivirus protection program or from Symantec's
Antivirus Center Intelligent Updater immediately and to continue
checking daily for new vaccines. Virus definitions may change daily. For more complete information and
a list of recently discovered viruses, visit the Symantec
Security Response sites for basic information re viruses and how they attack or for up-to-date latest threats and risks.
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Symantec AntiVirus and Live Update Feature
IRT emphatically reminds all users that you need to install Symantec Antivirus software
and keep it up to date on each computer you use whether on campus
or at home. Drexel distributes Symantec
Anti Virus software via our software server
at https://software.drexel.edu. The software contains a LiveUpdate feature that lets
you get anti-virus updates over the network. We recommend setting LiveUpdate to run automatically on a daily basis. Since there are many thousands of viruses and their variants in circulation,
and it is not practical to mass email the entire community every
time another virus is released, the scheduled LiveUpdate feature
is essential to virus protection. Use the instructions we have provided
at this webpage to configure your LiveUpdate.
Users who ignore the anti-virus protection measures provided place
themselves at serious risk for receiving and spreading viruses throughout
the network. IRT will disable any account or network port which is the source
of or cause of proliferation of a virus until we can be sure the infected computer has been cleaned
and no longer poses a threat to email or the network service. This may mean loss
of service to individuals whose computers are infected and to the
larger community of users who share the network.
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General Precautions
- You should never open an email message or link in an instant message-- even from someone you
know -- if you see several messages from different people with the
same or similar subject line. Such repetitive messages are a good
sign that you're looking at a virus that is spreading via email.
- There are some kinds of attachments that should never be opened.
You need to look at BOTH the name of the file and the icon (if your
mail program shows one). File names that end in ".EXE" ".VBS" ".VBE"
".COM" ".JS" ".HTA" ".REG" ".WSE" ".SHS" ".SHB" ".SCR", are program
files and should be deleted without opening them. If the icon looks
like a program icon, a window, or a blue or yellow scroll, delete
the file; these are programs, too.
- The university's anti-virus gateway protects mail coming to "@drexel.edu"
addresses only. If you have an email account provided by someone else
(departmental server, Yahoo!, Hotmail, etc.) our gateway can't protect
you. We prefer that, while connected to the campus network, you not
access attachments from off-campus email servers.
Contact IRT
For further information, visit the IRT website at http://www.drexel.edu/irt,
Virus Information link or http://www.symantec.com/avcenter.
If you have any questions regarding the use of Symantec Antivirus
software or need further assistance, call the Drexel IRT Helpdesk
at 215-895-2020.
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