Virus protection (was: Re: NOW ON WEB Re: [RTTY] Results of ...)

[Waldemar DK3VN]

David Fister wrote:
> 
> And that makes the questions for all you computer gurus:
> What antivirus do you use for checking mail. I am on the way to buy one.
> I was thinking about Norton Antivirus (maybe not??)
> Please reply direct and I will post summary.
> 
> David S51MM

Hello David,

as a private person, save your money. Each virus scanner *MUST* know the
pattern (fingerprint) of a virus. If the scanner don't know it, then the
scanner is "blind". Of course each good scanner knows thousands of different
patterns (old ones). If someone in this world creates a new virus and
"deliver" it, then a scanner can detect this virus, if the scanner knows
the pattern (fingerprint) of this *NEW* virus.

Here we have a principle problem. You don't know the pattern of a virus
*BEFORE* the virus is created! That means, no scanner is up to date!

No scanner can protect you against a *NEW* virus, only against the *OLD*
ones! The company, which sells a scanner, *MUST* have a copy of the virus,
to find the virus typical pattern (fingerprint). Only then this company
can distribute this information (pattern/fingerprint) to their customers.

The best protection for a private person is, to ignore each attachment!
Open an attachment only, if you are knowing, what you are doing!

73 de Waldemar, DK3VN
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