West Texas Rural Telephone has implemented new security measures to help protect your computer from viruses.  All email sent or received through wtrt.net will be scanned for viruses.  If the scanner detects a virus in the email message, the email will be blocked, and a warning email will be sent to the sender and receiver.  This is an automated scan, and only works for addresses that end with @wtrt.net.  Below are some answers to common questions about this service.  If you have further questions, please feel free to contact us at techsupp@wtrt.net our call 806-276-5225.

Why are you doing this?

Not too long ago, we could safely tell customers not to worry about getting a virus in their email.  Now, almost all new viruses are spread through email.  The number of reports from customers who have received a virus through email are increasing rapidly.  Using this new system, we are able to block viruses before they get to your mailbox, substantially decreasing the chances of you receiving a virus through email.

	Do I still need Virus Scanning Software on my computer?
	Yes.  First, we cannot guarantee that this system will block every virus that might be sent through email.  Second, this system only blocks viruses in email messages.  Viruses can still spread through downloaded files and other means.  We recommend that you run a virus scan on your computer regularly, and that you keep your virus software up to date.

Is my email address protected?

If your email address ends with @wtrt.net, then email that you send, and email that is sent to you, is automatically being scanned for viruses.  If a virus is detected in your email, you will receive an email from the system telling you that the email has been blocked.  If your email address ends with something else (i.e. @hotmail.com, @yahoo.com, @webtv.com, etc), then your email is not automatically being scanned.

	What happens if someone sends me email that contains a virus?
	If the system detects a virus in the email, the email will be blocked.  You will receive an email notifying you of the person who tried to email you, and that the message was blocked.  The person who sent the email will also receive notification that their email was blocked because a virus was detected in their email.

	I just received a message that said I tried to send a virus!  What do I do now?
	You need to run a virus scanner on your computer.  If you already have virus scanning software, make sure you have the latest updates for your software.  You can also perform an online virus scan by following this link. http://housecall.antivirus.com/housecall/start_pcc.asp, and follow the instructions.