Software

F-Secure Client Security anti-virus software is installed on all Windows computers. The virus identification data is updated continuously in order to protect computers against viruses and malware.

The university's license allows the staff and students to install F-Secure Anti-Virus on their home computers. You can get this and a few other programs for domestic use from the university's software distribution page, URL: http://www.helsinki.fi/atk/ohjelmajakelu.

Software upgrade and maintenance

The Department has an F-Secure Management Server, which manages the Anti-Virus software and virus definition update information for a set of connected Windows machines. The machines attached to the server regularly report their virus findings and activities to the server.

Detection of viruses

Windows automatically starts the AntiVirus software and starts to scan files automatically. This scanning is invisible to users. The program will check each file access and block the access if it detects a virus.

E-mail worms, viruses and malware

There are a lot of E-mail worms, viruses and other malware in the world and we have also seen plenty here at the CS Department. All Incoming mail containing a known virus, worm or malware is filtered at the boundary. Anti-Virus programs also detect these and make them harmless, but the safest is to intervene as early as possible.

E-mail security instructions for users

The last barrier against the e-mail viruses, worms and malware is users' own prudence. New unknown viruses, worms and malwares can find their way through filters to the user's mailbox. Adhering to the following principles is necessary when using e-mail:

• Attachments should not be opened before they have been scaned. The attachment may seem harmless, but it can be dangerous. Especially in Windows, a file name can be made to look like something else ie. a disastrous VBS-Script file may  look like a harmless JPG image.
• You should be careful when opening attachments which were sent you unexpectedly. These can come from people you know or from some unknown person. One safe way, for example, is to telephone or email the sender and make sure that the attachment is an appropriate one. Even anti-virus programs can not detect completely new viruses, worms and malware right away.
• If the sender of a message is a familiar person, but otherwise the message seems strange or is written in the "wrong" language you should be cautious. The sender's address can be forged or the message can be sent by a worm running on the sender's computer.