FAQ - Virus & SPAM Issues
Frequently asked questions about Virus & SPAM Issues. If you would like to
suggest adding another item to this list,
please contact the Student Computing
Support Desk by filling out an online form.
Virus and Spam Issues
Symantec Installation Guide for Macintosh
How do I uninstall a previous version of Symantec from Windows?
How do I uninstall a previous version of Symantec from my Mac?
Does HMS provide anti-virus software for the Mac?
Free Online Virus Scanner, Removal Tools, and Anti-Virus Softwares
How do I remove the Symantec icon on the menu bar of my Mac?
How to Configure Outlook to Delete SPAM on Your Windows-based Computer
How to Configure Entourage to Delete SPAM on Your Macintosh
Cleaning a Virus-Infected Floppy
Cleaning a Virus-Infected Network Folder
Fight Against Spam!
Report SPAM Directly to Symantec via Outlook
Virus and Spam Issues
Symantec Installation Guide for Macintosh
All predoctoral students at HMS must have anti-virus software on their computers. .
You need to put a request into Student Computing to access and download the dmg file for your Mac OS computer. NOTE: Snow Leopard is currently not
compatible with our current licensed copy of Symantec.
Fill out the following
online information with the following request: SAV Download, Mac OS X Leopard, your name, HUID, your MyCourses username,
your program (HMS, HSDM, HST, DMS), and your phone number so that we can contact you.
VERY IMPORTANT: Uninstall any existing anti-virus software on your computer
before implementing the steps below.
1. Click on the SAV 10 for MAC (CD Version) folder in My Collaborations/Student SAV folder.
2. Download the Symantec_AntiVirus_10.0_for_Macintosh_EN.dmg file to your Mac's desktop.
3. Click on the dmg file to decompress the Symantec AntiVirus 10 CD to your desktop.
4. Click on the icon Symantec AntiVirus Installer in the dialog box.
5. Follow out the wizard steps by clicking Continue and then Install buttons.
6. Make sure that you do a Live Update to download the latest virus definitions and the product update itself.
7. Set your Symantec Scheduler to receive definitions and updates on a daily basis.
How do I uninstall a previous version of Symantec from Windows?
1. Go to the Start menu, Settings, and then Control Panel.
2. Click on Add or Remove Programs.
3. Look for Symantec and click on the Change/Remove button.
4. If you have been prompted to do a restart of your computer, do Steps 1 and 2, and remove Live Update and any
other Symantec-related items in the dialog window.
How do I uninstall a previous version of Symantec from my Mac?
NOTE: This is a new version of the Symantec Uninstaller version 1.0.2 that
was updated for compatibility with Mac OS X 10.4 (code named Tiger). You may use this uninstaller to
remove any Symantec Macintosh Mac OS X product.
1. Go to the Symantec's site and download the file,
symantec_uninstaller_102.sit
to your Mac's desktop.
2. Decompress by clicking on symantec_uninstaller_102.sit.
3. Click on the Symantec Uninstaller file.
Does HMS provide anti-virus software for the Mac?
Yes. Matriculating registered predoctoral students are allowed a single licensed copy of Symantec Anti-Virus Edition for Macintosh-based PC (OS X Leopard). For Windows-based PCs, download the free anti-virus software, Microsoft Security Essentials, from Microsoft.
Free Online Virus Scanner, Removal Tools, and Anti-Virus Softwares
NOTE: These applications are only for Windows-based PCs. Using a combination of the tools will assist you in removing
the bugs off of your computer as they are noted in each tools' database. Always update your databases before running scans.
The HMS IT Department does not endorse any of the anti-spyware
clients listed below; they are provided as a convenience to matriculated registered HMS predoctoral
students.
McAfee AVERT Removal Tool (Stinger)
Ad-Aware
How do I remove the Symantec icon from the menu of my Mac?
NOTE: If you have uninstalled your Symantec and notice the menu icon still existing, go
to the following site below and run the RemoveSymantecMacFiles removal utility on your Mac.
1. Go to the Symantec's site and choose the appropriate removal tool for your Symantec version on
your Mac:
Symantec Removal Tool
and place it on your desktop.
2. Decompress the file.
3. Run the removal tool and reboot. You should notice that the Symantec icon on the menu bar is no longer there.
How to Configure Outlook to Delete SPAM on Your Windows-based Computer
1. Click on the Start menu. Go into the Control Panel.
2. Click on the Mail icon. A Mail Setup - Outlook dialog
window will appear.
3. Click the button, E-mail Accounts.
4. Select View or change existing e-mail accounts.
5. Click the button, Add.
6. Click on the select button, Microsoft Exchange Server
Connect to an exchange server to read e-mail, access public folders, and share documents.
Click Next.
7. Enter mailserver02 in the textbox, Microsoft Exchange Server:.
Then, enter your last name, and click the button, Check Name.
8. Highlight your name in the list under the Change to text area. Click
OK.
9. Click on the button, More Settings
.
10. Click on the tab, Connection. Click the select button,
Connect using my Local Area Network (LAN). Click Apply and
then OK in the window, Microsoft Exchange Server.
11. Click the Next button in the window,
Exchange Server Settings:.
12. Click Finish.
13. Click OK in the window, User Name.
14. Click on the Tools menu and highlight Rules Wizard
.
15. Click on the button, New
, and highlight More messages based on content.
16. Click on specific words in the text area,
Rule description (click on an underlined value to edit it):.
17. Enter the designated tag that you want deleted and click Add.
Click OK. (NOTE: If you have other designated emails that you want to
delete, write the specified words in and add it to the list.)
18. Click specified folder in the subject or body in the text area,
Rule description (click on an underlined value to edit it):.
19. Highlight a folder in your mailbox to designate tagged SPAM messages
(e.g., Deleted Items) in the window, Rules Wizard. Click OK.
20. Click the buttons, Next, four times. Select the checkbox,
Run this rule now on messages already in "Inbox".
21. Click Finish upon successful completion.
How to Configure Entourage to Delete SPAM on Your Macintosh
1. Launch Entourage.
2. Click on the Tools menu. Under the Level tab,
highlight Junk Email Protection... and
its dialog window will appear.
3. Set the "What level of junk e-mail protection would you like?".
4. Enter the amount of days that you want in Delete messages from the junk E-mail folder older than option.
5. Under the tab, Safe Domains, enter domains such as .edu, .gov, or
whatever you believe is a safe domain to include.
6. Click the button, OK.
7. NOTE: Add only trusted folks to your address book so that Entourage will know who is acceptable.
Cleaning a Virus-Infected Floppy
Student Computing scans all students' network folders
every night. These daily scans help to eliminate nearly all infected files in your
student network folder. Additionally, Student Computing scans all of its
Windows-based PC computers every night. Each of the Apple Computers has been set up as
a Safe Zone so that all documents placed there are automatically scanned
as well. This can also be used to test individual files. Lastly, anti-virus definitions are
updated weekly on both Windows-based and Macintosh-based PCs.
It is strongly recommended that students scan their portable storage
(e.g., 3 1/2 floppies, zip disks) with files and home computers before securely
FTPing to their student network folder. See instructions on
how to copy files into and from
your student network folder.
Symantec Anti-Virus Edition v10 for Windows
1. Scanning Portable Storage
2. Cleaning Infected Files
Norton Anti-Virus v10 for Macintosh
1. Scanning Portable Storage
2. Cleaning Infected Files
If you encounter a problem during the scanning of your student network folder, please
contact the Student Computing Support Desk by
filling out an online form.
Symantec Anti-Virus Edition v10 for Windows
The PCs are currently using Symantec Anti-Virus Corporate Edition 10.2, which will help to
prevent a virus from infecting the student workstation.
Scanning Portable Storage
Insert the floppy disk, and then launch Symantec. It is under Programs
in the Start menu. Highlight Scan a Floppy Disk in the left
window. Check 3 1/2 Floppy (A:) and/or Removable Disk
(D:) to scan your disks in the appropriate drives. Click the Scan
button.
A window, Scan a Floppy Disk, will open and scan your removable disks as
in the window dialog box below.
If infected files are found, Symantec will quaratine them and repair as necessary.
Symantec Anti-Virus Corporate Edition v10.2 for Macintosh
The Macs are currently using Symantec Anti-Virus v10 (NAV). SAV is currently set to scan
CDs and Zip Disks as they are inserted, so infected files will show up when you insert your disk.
Scanning Portable Storage
If a virus is detected in any file on a removable (floppy or zip) disk, an alert will come up,
offering to launch NAV to deal with the problem. Click the Scan/Repair button, and
the application will launch. It will automatically rescan the disk, and list all infected
files in red text.
Cleaning Infected Files
To clean the files, select each one (either individually or by using a shift-click), and then
click the Repair button. From the next dialog box, you should select
either Scan/Repair ; the second option will make
a copy of the original file before attempting a repair. Each filename will revert to plain
text as it is cleaned. Click Done when all the files are cleaned.
Cleaning a Virus-Infected Network Folder
Student Computing scans all student network folders every night.
These daily scans help to eliminate nearly all infected files in your student network
folder. Additionally, Student Computing scans all of its Windows-based PC computers
every night. Each of the Apple Computers has been set up as a Safe Zone
so that all documents placed there are automatically scanned as well. This can also be used
to test individual files. Lastly, anti-virus definitions are updated weekly on both
Windows-based and Macintosh-based PCs.
It is strongly recommended that students scan their home computers and portable storage
(e.g., 3 1/2 floppies, zip disks) with files before securely FTPing to their student network
folder. (See instructions on
how to copy files into and from
your student network folder.) Additionally, make sure that you update your anti-virus
definitions on a weekly basis.
Tired of getting spam in your email account(s)? Well, albeit this may not put you at ease,
you are just one of the many individuals -- worldwide -- who has been receiving at an alarmingly
increasing rate, Unsolicited Commercial Emails (UCE) or what anti-UCE folks
coined as Spam.
Okay so what do you do to get rid of spam? Read on about all the tips that the staff
have researched on-line about spam.
NOTE: The HMS Student Council is officially
responsible in monitoring mailing lists for spam. You can email the HMS Student Council
at the following email address:
Mailing_Lists@hms.harvard.edu
If you want to post an advertisement or sell some books, list it in the Trading Post via
MyCourses.
If you have any questions, please contact the Student Computing Support Desk
at (617) 432 - 0066, ext. 1 or click to
fill out an online form.
Tips to Fight the
mers!
Wise Choice #1: Be Protective of Your Email Address
Any time you give your email address out to someone else -- no matter how trustworthy they may
be, chances increase that you may be swept up by a a variant of the W32 address-collecting
worm. Or better yet, some little robot program has been launched by businesses who unleash
their robots to "harvest emails" from any website that exists on the World Wide Web (WWW).
1. Make sure you have anti-virus software and
up-to-date virus definitions and product updates on your machine!
Although this doesn't really involve Spam as it is defined above, it does make one's life more
complicated when you are accused of sending random emails to those you don't even know...
To make life easier go to free online virus and scan tools
on Student Computing's site and download the Removal Tools to rid your computer of these tech-pests.
Additionally, you just may want to ask the person to whom you are handing out your email if
they have anti-virus software on their machines. You'll want to avoid participating in the
microbe melee.
2. Hide your email address.
Make sure that any mailing list to which you are subscribing is a suppressed list.
Your organization may want to consider
investing in programs
that obfuscate Spambots' myriad attempts to harvest your organization's email.
3. Never ever reply to Spam emails to request removal. Your request will probably be ignored and,
if anything, it will confirm to the Spammer that your email address is valid.
4. If you live off-campus, try emailing your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to alert them
of the emails that you are receiving in your ISP email account. Some ISPs who have email services are
set up to selectively block or filter emails.
Wise Choice #2: Email Blocking and Filtering
1. Email blocking and filtering functions may be offered through your email account or
an email client.
For your online Outlook Web Acccess (OWA) account, BrightMail is an anti-virus and spam
reporting application which simply identifies or tags which emails are deemed spam.
If you have an email client such as Eudora or MS Entourage v.X, you can create filters
that can direct selected emails to a folder or tagged as junkmail. Or you can report the SPAM to Brightmail by
following these directions.
If you have MS Outlook 2003 or above, you can
download the Brightmail Outlook plugin to report and deliver any SPAM directly to Symantec.
a. ISP: Ask your ISP if they have any policies on spam.
b. Is email blocking and filtering censorship? Good question!
Check this out!
Wise Choice #3: Check Out These Resources Now!
1. Fight Spam On The Internet!
2. Coalition Against Unsolicited Commerical Email (CAUCE)
3. The Anti-Spam Home Page