Surviving a Bootkit Infection

Infections on your computer are bad, but some infections are worse than others. A rogue antivirus may seem impossible to you, but to a technician it's a cold whereas a bootkit infection is more like a malignant tumor. Microsoft recommends reinstalling Windows after you've had a bootkit infection and so do I.  There's no fudge factor here. Even a really savy tech probably won't get all of the infection.

When a virus gets into your boot sector, it's so difficult to remove. It's a time consuming and tedious process to find infected files and you can never be sure that you got them all. That's why it's so important to have everything backed up on a daily basis. That way if you do get infected you lose only one day's work and not months' worth of work.

Make sure all of your photos, music and documents are backed up. Set up Windows backup if you don't want to do it yourself. http://www.microsoft.com/athome/setup/backupdata.aspx That link will help you with Windows backup. Make sure your contacts are backed up too. Not much is worse than losing all your precious business contacts.

Having an external hard drive is a great way to add a little insurance that you won't lose your data, HOWEVER most folks don't take the proper care to insure that their data on their external hard drive will be safe.

• You must scan external hard drives on a regular basis.
• Disconnect the power and USB data cable from the external hard drive when not in use and, especially, during a thunderstorm. 
• Do not store the eternal hard drive on the carpeting. (You want to keep it in a drawer and out of the way of vacuum cleaners.)
• Don't leave an external hard drive in your automobile. (Greenhouse effects can destroy your hard drive.)

Ok, well I hope this helps you get prepared and scares you into being a safe surfer. If you're not scared of getting an infection, you should be. You carry a spare tire in your trunk so why not a spare drive for your computer? There's lots of sales going on; right now you can pick one up for not much money.

Be prepared..... or be prepared to cry! ;)