W32.Deletemusic is a worm, and a new threat that you should be aware of. Similar to a computer virus, a worm is a self-contained, self-replicating program, that usually exploits the file transmission capabilities, found on many computers. From its name you can guess that W32.Deletemusic is not something you want your PC infected with. It will delete all the mp3s it can find.
The good news is, that computer security experts have given the worm a low risk category. That may be because it is difficult to catch. It spreads from machine to machine via removable flash drives, the USB pens, or keys, that are so easy to use, and seem to have replaced floppy discs.
Protection from this beasty is, as easy as, switching the autorun option off. Autorun is an option in Windows which allows a program to be automatically run when a CD, or USB key, is loaded into the machine. This is an option that should be switched off. There will be a link to a website on the eStuff web page, that shows you how to do this. It would also be a good idea not to put your USB key into any machines, other than your own. It is certainly not a good idea to insert your USB key into PCs, at Internet cafes.
It seems an opportune moment to remind readers of the eStuff virus-help, web page. This is a special web page that is available on the eStuff website that has links to important sites you may need in your battle against viruses. In particular there are links to eStuff articles on protecting your PC from viruses, rootkits and Spyware.
The other thing that readers should be doing is backing up their data. This has been made easier with by the growth in remote backup services.
A remote backup service provides PC owners with the ability to backup data, using the Internet. These can usually be set up to run independently, on a scheduled basis, for example, once a day. The backup program will ensure that all files that are new, or have been changed since it last run, will be backed up to a remote site. The data is sent to the remote site in compressed format, and only the changed data is sent. This ensures that bandwidth usage is kept to a minimum.
There are many services available to companies both large and small, and a search in Google produces many hits. Luckily there are also several options available to small home users.
Mozy and IDrive-E will allow you to backup 2GB of data for free, and if you have more data than that, it will cost US$4.95 a month for unlimited backup space. Xdrive has more genourous 5GB for free, and up to 50GB for US$9.95 a month.
If those services do not appeal, there is always the Gspace option. Gspace turns the 2GB of a Gmail account into free, online disc space. There is also a Firefox extension that allows you to access your Gspace files through the Firefox web browser. It should be noted that Google’s Terms and Conditions, for the use of Gmail, may specifically forbid you from using it in this manner. But that doesn’t seem to stop thousands of people from doing so.
Please don’t become a victim of viruses. Ensure that you secure your PC, practise safe computing, and backup your precious data.
