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Got a Computer Virus? Here's What to Do (and Not Do)

by Terrence O'Brien on February 19, 2009 at 12:01 AM



DO: Lock Internet traffic with your firewall

If you're using a third-party firewall program such as ZoneAlarm or Comodo, then you can stop all Internet traffic in its path, preventing the offending program from spreading or reaching out across the Internet for help and updates. Even if you don't have a dedicated firewall program, you can simply turn off your network connections by right clicking on the network icon in the Windows system tray and choosing "disable." Or you can just pull the Ethernet cable out of the back (the easiest option on a Mac). The downside is that, with no Internet, there is no updating of your anti-virus program, so make sure you've installed the latest updates before locking your system down completely.

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