The Business Record spoke with Steve Simpson, a consultant at Alliance Technologies, regarding the current state of computer viruses and related trends Alliance has noticed while providing information technology services in Iowa. Alliance serves more than 200 customers’ software, networking, Web, staffing and IT management needs.

Q: Has the threat of viruses and worms increased in recent years, and how so?

A: It’s no secret that activity from viruses and worms has significantly increased in recent years. The pace even seems to be accelerating. It’s important to understand that most viruses are likely written by a person who doesn’t actually spread it, but posts it to a Web site. From there, so-called script kiddies make their signature modifications and start to spread it. This has led to an increase in the number of viruses, as well as a huge increase in variants of individual viruses. The Beagle virus, for example, was originally identified on January 18. On March 26, the “V” or 22 variant of the virus had been spotted.

Q: How do you tell a real virus from a hoax, and what are the telltale warnings signs that one has arrived?

A: There are several common hoaxes out there. One of the most common hoaxes details how a friend of a friend at IBM or other company told the sender’s friend to delete a certain file. Check out www.sarc.com if you’re unsure about a virus warning.

Q: What is Alliance doing for companies to help them prevent viruses from causing major problems in business systems?

A: One of our network services includes monthly “preventative maintenance” visits, during which we make sure that our customer’s systems are keeping up-to-date in the virus battle. We take pride in the fact that none of our maintenance clients has ever had a virus outbreak.

Q: What would you recommend that individuals do with their home computers to keep viruses at bay?

A: Home users, as well as organizations, need to maintain a three-pronged defense. First is to install anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date daily. Second, Windows users need to keep their software current. Finally, a firewall should be used on broadband Internet connections to protect computers from the outside.

Q: What is the most dramatic effect a virus has had on a system in your experience?

A: We saw one unprotected machine that had been filled with almost half a million bogus files. We’ve seen machines rendered useless. There are always reports of some large companies losing their e-mail service during an attack.