Prepared by Elisabeth Lindsay.
All computer users, including genealogists, are subject to having their computers attacked by a computer virus. The first line of defense is to have a good virus checking program installed on your computer to detect and destroy viruses. Second is never to open unsolicited e-mail attachments. Those who would send viruses are unscrupulous and may obtain your e-mail address by stealth means, even appearing to come from someone you know. Always retain a healthy suspicion and verify unsolicited attachments. Finally, back up your data. Should the worst come to pass, having your data backed up to disk or other external source will save much grief and sorrow.