We here are Midcoast Internet realize that more and more people are getting infected with viruses.
Virus prevention is the responsibility of the customer, not the ISP.
The internet is just one of the many ways you can get a virus.
There are dozens of new viruses coming out everyday, but there are some simple rules to follow that can help stop your computer from getting infected.

Basic Rules.
1. Don't open attachments from strangers.
2. Don't open files from friends that end in *.VBS *.SCR, *.EXE, *.PIF, *.COM, *.DOC
3. Consider buying and install anti-virus software.
(They cost around 30 dollars and could save you 3 times that much if you needed to fix your infected PC.)
4. If you have an Anti Virus program update it weekly for new viruses.

People usually get viruses as attachments in e-mail.
You can also get viruses from a floppy disk, CD-ROM, or zip disk, etc...
Getting an e-mail with a virus attachment will not automatically infect your machine.
You should delete any e-mail that has an attachment from anyone you don't know before you open it.
Some viruses are sent by people you know without their knowledge.
If you are unsure of a file someone has sent you, e-mail them before you open it.

There are 2 basic types of viruses out there:

1. Trojan horses
These viruses rewrite files on your machine when you open an infected attachment. They can disable your Internet connection, and/or block access to certain anti virus web sites. They can also infect your e-mail program to send copies of itself on your outgoing messages. They can also delete or corrupt on your hard drive.


2. Worms
These viruses are usually not destructive. They copy themselves using security holes in e-mail programs and send themselves to multiple people through your address book.
The most famous one so far is the I Love You Virus.
These worms tend to spread rather quickly, then disappear.

Sometimes virus writers send files that look ok to trick users into opening them.
*.GIF, *.JPG - These are common image file types people send that are ok.
Recently the Anna Kournikova, virus did that trick with the file annakournikova.jpg.vbs
It has .jpg in it, but the last part of the file name shows it to be a .vbs file.