These days, most computer users realize they need to be using antivirus software. The trouble is, there is a lot of equipment providing services to these users on the internet. What is being done to protect them from virus infections?

Viruses can attack servers that run websites, email and other internet functions. They're not limited to desktop PC's.

Most of these servers are really not all that different from the average desktop computer. They probably have more memory, bigger hard drives and faster CPUs but the underlying technology is much the same.

Because they really run the same kind of stuff as a desktop system, they're also vulnerable to attack and need to be protected with similar methods. They need to be running antivirus software and firewalls to avoid being infected.

What Other Options Are There?

Since servers and routers provide services to multiple, sometimes thousands, of user systems they're more frequently attacked. Users can help administrators of these systems by keeping their own systems clean and refraining from passing on viruses to others across them. Administrators can help themselves by forgoing the temptation to use them as personal computers with full e-mail clients, word processing software, and fully enabled browsers.

By keeping your computer protected by antivirus, firewall and other internet security software you help to minimize the target area for the attacks to hit. It can also help to keep your browser and operating system updated with the latest patches, and possibly even run an alternative browser such as Firefox instead of Internet Explorer.

Users and administrators should avoid using bootable CD's and DVD's that haven't been virus scanned after being burned with desired software and files. Sometimes the process that creates them propagates viruses, just as floppy disks did some years ago.

Finally, if you use FTP for transferring files, you need to consider switching to a more secure alternative. FTP sends all passwords unencrypted so if someone is able to intercept your internet connection, they can easily get your password.

Users need to take responsibility for making sure a network is secure - not just the system administrators. System admins have many tasks on their plate and they're not always able to respond to security risks as quickly as they should.