The month is March 2020 and the world is currently on lockdown because of a human-spread virus. Phrases like “social isolation” and “wash your hands” have become commonplace. People are afraid because of the drastic measures being taken. But are they necessary?
While I’m not a physician, I have combatted my share of computer viruses. Viruses, by their very nature, are difficult to contain. Computer viruses can spread from machine to machine in a matter of seconds, infecting entire organizations and bringing them to their knees. They can take out governments and cripple economies. If they hit critical medical systems, they can even cost lives.
Here are 3 reasons why “social isolation” is a necessary response to any virus:
It Limits the Spread of the Infection
During one of my toughest weeks as a tech-hero, I battled a virus infection that spread to almost every machine in my organization. I knew this was a characteristic of the virus and I was aware that my network was a target. I was hoping that my preventative measures and warnings would be enough to stop it. They weren’t.
Once the first machine was infected, I was no longer able to protect my network. I isolated the machines that I knew where severely infected, but there were other machines in various stages of infection. Some were hosts without my knowing. The only way to stop the virus – and ensure that the machines were not reinfected – was to keep them off the network until I knew the outbreak was under control. I needed to clear every machine.
It Limits the Severity of the Infection
Once an infected machine is in isolation, it is easier for the tech-hero to focus on remediation. This is true of humans as well: If a person suspects that he is getting ill, most doctors would recommend staying home to rest.
Catching a virus in its earlier stages will make it easier to combat and remediate. For instance, if I am able to stop an encryption virus before it encrypts an entire machine, there is a good chance I can restore the machine.
It Limits the Strain on Resources
Those machines (and humans) with a severe infection will need additional care. As a tech-hero, I know the difficult choice of choosing who will receive my focus during a virus-outbreak. I sacrificed some machines for the sake of others. I could not reach every machine in time.
One of the biggest concerns about the coronavirus is the strain it will place on our medical structure. If everyone needs this more advanced care, our current infrastructure will be unable to support it. We are already seeing this happen in Italy with the human victims of the coronavirus.
Conclusion
While I am not a doctor, I agree with the idea of social isolation to prevent the spread, severity, and strain of a virus outbreak. It is far better to be preventative than to respond to such an invasion.
Wash your hands. Don’t click on unverified links. Listen to the professionals who have your best interests in mind.