Protect your data from destructive virus attacks by building a strong defense with anti-virus software.

Note  Microsoft recommends using anti-virus software that is certified by the International Computer Security Association. ICSA is completely independent. ICSA shares vital security information with security product manufacturers, developers, security experts, academia and corporations. Their services include:

• TruSecure-System Certification
• Product Certification
• Management of Security Consortia Groups
• Risk Framework and Continuous Certification Model
• Dissemination of Knowledge

For more information, refer to the International Computer Security Association: Certified Anti-Virus Products Web site.

What are computer viruses?

Somewhat like their biological counterparts, computer viruses are collections of code that sometimes attach themselves to a "host" (such as a program file).

By definition, viruses are self-replicating - which means that once you open a virus-infected document, the documents you go on to create will be infected, too. For example, if you open an infected word-processing document, then documents you create with your word processor will also be infected with that very virus.

Some viruses are relatively harmless or merely annoying, while others can cause serious problems with your data or machine. Among the most common today are "macro" viruses, written in an application's macro language. You should always choose Disable Macros or Do Not Open if you receive a Macro Dialog Protection Warning for a document you did not expect to contain macros or if you receive the warning and you do not know the sender.

Macro Viruses

Macro languages are powerful tools for customizing applications, and many individuals and organizations use macros to automate their work and develop custom solutions. However, when misused, an application's macro language can lead to the generation of macro viruses. All computer users therefore should be aware of the risk of macro viruses, as well as the precautions presently available to prevent their transmittal.

Microsoft's Anti-Virus Commitment

Microsoft understands that macro viruses are a concern for our customers and we want to do everything we can to make sure that tools exist to detect and eliminate these viruses. We are collaborating closely with the International Computer Security Association (ICSA) and the anti-virus community to understand how we can better work together to combat macro viruses. The goal is to establish more formal and consistent partnerships with these vendors to ensure that they have the information they need to create up-to-date anti-macro virus tools.

Other Microsoft Anti-Virus Resources