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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 06:35 PM


Sometimes even the most cautious of us slip up, our PCs ending up with a nasty virus like the dreaded Conficker that's making its way around the Web right now. But even if you fall victim to a program written by a ne'er-do-well half way around the world, all hope is not necessarily lost. It all depends on what you do next (which sometimes means not doing something). We've come up with a handy checklist of things you should do (and not do) if you suddenly find that your computer is infected with a virus.

Most of the advice is applicable to Macs, as well; although the number of known viruses for OS X is exactly zero, there have been limited cases of just-as-threatening Trojans reported. And the Mac's relative immunity to viruses likely won't remain true forever, as more and more hackers are liable to target the increasingly popular computer from Cupertino.

Get started with the first "Do" by clicking on "Next" below.

Tags: features, malware, safety, security, trojan, virus, viruses

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