Computer viruses attack NU

By Zack Knoebel
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

By the time Don Manchester realized his computer had been infected with a fatal virus, it was already too late. Three hours after detecting the infection, Manchester's computer had been reduced to little more than an elaborate paperweight.

Manchester, 21, a senior computer information systems major, said all of his assignments, projects, and files were completely destroyed by the infection. It forced him to spend an entire weekend fixing his computer.

"It took two all-nighters formatting my hard-drive and reinstalling software," Manchester said. "There was no curing it at that point, and any information you have at that time is lost."

During the week following the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, computers all over the Norwich University campus were attacked by viruses, causing mass frustration amongst students, according to computer services.

Manchester's computer had been infected with the Nimda virus. According to the makers of McAfee Virus Scanner, the virus will infect a person over a network and share all files, allowing others to access your computer as if it were in front of them.

Unlike most viruses, the Nimda virus infected Manchester's computer through the network connection rather than through an e-mail attachment.

Manchester said he had a virus scanner installed, but he had not updated it since he bought his computer.

"That was the stupidest mistake I made," Manchester said. "I had a McAfee virus scanner installed, but it was well out of date."

Jason Oliveira, 20, a junior physics major, said he was also forced to reinstall all the software on his system. According to Oliveira, the virus duplicated files on his system until all his hard-drive space was used up.

Oliveira said it took almost a week and a half to fix his computer.

"We tried to use McAfee virus scanner over the network but it was too late," Oliveira said. "The virus ate away everything."

Like Manchester, Oliveira said he did not contract the viruses through the e-mail, but rather through the network connection.

"I had no e-mail viruses," Oliveira said. "All my files started converting to Outlook Express files, which is really weird, because I don't use that program."

Oliveira said he believes someone who had the virus gave it to him while browsing his system on the network.

Oliveira also had a virus scanner installed, but, like Manchester, Oliveira said he had not updated it to find new viruses in over a year.

Both students said they lost large amounts of course work which was stored on their computers. As a result, both were forced to do extra work to catch up in their classes.

"When you're a CIS major, your computer is like your left arm," Manchester said. "If it's broken, you do everything you can to fix it and nurse it back to health."

According to computer services, students can protect themselves from viruses and avoid these problems.

"Because of the number of viruses out there and the ways they are being passed, students have got to learn how to protect themselves," said Col. Thomas Aldrich. "Nobody else can do it for them. I can't protect your computer. The Norwich Internet system can't protect your computer. You have to do it yourself."

According to Aldrich, Norwich has sacrificed safety in exchange for liberty on the Internet.

"Because we're an '.edu' environment, we've got to have as much openness as you can in order to research and study all the different areas you need to," Aldrich said. "We don't put the filters and screens on and all of those things that might protect students, because that may also deny them the ability to go where they need to for legitimate research."

Aldrich said that students need to be aware that new viruses are released every week, and variants of existing viruses are being released all the time.

"It is so easy to write a virus," Aldrich said. "You can go to websites with menus and point-and-click yourself a virus. It doesn't take a whole lot of skill."

Aldrich stressed the importance of computer security, especially for students using Microsoft products.

"Microsoft is trying to build a lot of convenience into their systems," Aldrich said. "As a result, they have allowed things to happen which are easily exploitable by those who want to do damage."

According to Aldrich, the best way for students to protect their computers is to use and update virus scanners on a weekly basis. According to Aldrich, lab computers and faculty computers on campus are updated every twenty-four hours and every time a faculty member logs on.

"It is the only way you can protect yourself," Aldrich said.

Aldrich encourages students who are having problems with their computers to call the Norwich University Help Desk at x2456.

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