The best way to avoid getting a computer virus is to never open attachments. Since most viruses are spread via attachments, refusing to open attachments will keep you from getting many viruses.
However, if you must open an attachment, contact the person who sent you the attachment before you open it. That request is because viruses often spread themselves via an infected computer's address book or Contact List, messages from people you know aren't automatically safe.
For this reason, we at ICQ will keep reminding our users to use caution before receiving any files from anyone.
It is good practice over the Internet in general to verify that the person the file is from is indeed:
- Really the person who sent you the file,
- And the person you think (confirm this by asking the user for information known only to the two of you).
Finally, once you decide to open an attachment, we recommend scanning it with an updated version of an anti-virus software.
