What's a "Virus"?
Computer viruses are called viruses because they share some of the traits of biological viruses. A computer virus passes from computer to computer like a biological virus passes from person to person.

At a deeper level there are similarities as well. A biological virus is not a living thing. A virus is a fragment of DNA inside a protective jacket. Unlike a cell, a virus has no way to do anything or to reproduce by itself -- it is not alive. Instead, a biological virus must inject its DNA into a cell. The viral DNA then uses the cell's existing machinery to reproduce itself. In some cases, the cell fills with new viral particles until it bursts, releasing the virus. In other cases the new virus particles bud off the cell one at a time and the cell remains alive.

A computer virus shares some of these traits. A computer virus must piggyback on top of some other program or document in order to get executed. Once it is running, it is then able to infect other programs or documents. Obviously the analogy between computer and biological viruses stretches things a bit, but there are enough similarities that the name sticks.

Virus Protection Sites

McAfee Online
Get the latest virus news from McAfee. Download the latest fixes, shop in the McAfee store and keep your PC healthy by visiting the McAfee Clinic. http://www.mcafee.com/

SARC Advice
The Symantec AntiVirus Research Center (SARC) offers sound advice on protecting your Web site from viruses, as well as virus updates and a virus information database. .http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/index.html

What is SPAM?
Spam is defined as the mass distribution of many copies of the same message, in an attempt to force the message on people who would not otherwise choose to receive it. Most SPAM is commercial advertising, often for dubious products and get-rich-quick schemes.

There are two kinds of SPAM: newsgroup SPAM and e-mail SPAM.

Usenet SPAM is a single message sent to 20 or more Usenet newsgroups. The content of this SPAM usually consists of false commercial messages (for example, advertising a company, product or service that does not exist or is misrepresented), or posting get-rich-quick schemes.

E-mail SPAM targets individual users with direct mail messages and includes "mail bombing" (mass mailing intended to overload the addressee's mailbox), and harassing e-mail (if it would be considered threatening, abusing or harassing in person, then it would also be considered as such electronically). At its mildest, SPAM is junk mail; at its worst, it is harassment.

What HiLine Communications does to reduce SPAM:
WhiteHorse Communications takes several precautions to guard against SPAM including several anti-spam subscription services and local filtering of mail, based on common subject lines. However, there is no way to completely eliminate all SPAM.

Some of these precautions may block wanted or expected e-mail, because it originates from a source deemed to be unsecured. If you feel you are not receiving e-mail due to WHC's precautionary measures, please contact our office or e-mail "help@hiline.net."

What you can do about SPAM?
HiLine Communications is aware that many subscribers are receiving e-mail SPAM. There are a variety of options that you can take to protect yourself against junk e-mail:

1) Do not reply to SPAM. This simply confirms to the spammer that your e-mail address is a valid one.

2) If you receive e-mail SPAM, originating at any of our addresses to help@whc.net. If the e-mail SPAM originates from another Internet Service Provider, you should make your complaint to the Internet Abuse department where the message originated from. You may also want to investigate e-mail software with filtering capabilities that will allow you to separate unwanted junk mail from your legitimate correspondence.