Virus Response Team (VIRT) Coordination

The ASSIST trains and certifies IM support staff to be members of the Virus Response Team (ViRT). The ASSIST also dispatches ViRT members to respond to virus incidents at user sites and collects information regarding virus infections to maintain the virus incident database.

User Education

The ASSIST provides multimedia seminars on a periodic basis to users, raising the awareness of the virus threat. The ASSIST also authors articles for Headquarters newsletters highlighting specific virus threats and system protection strategies. 

Virus Technology Analysis

The ASSIST performs in-depth analyses of any new viruses found at Headquarters to determine the threat and appropriate preventative and eradication mechanisms. When necessary, the ASSIST also has developed its own protection and eradication software utilities for DOE. The ASSIST evaluates anti-viral software packages and provides guidance on which packages best support the Headquarters Virus Protection Program. For certain packages, the ASSIST will provide complete life-cycle support, with documumentation and programs for installation to workstations (from diskettes or servers), automated update processes, and user information packages. 

Consultation 

The ASSIST maintains knowledgeable staff who stay abreast of the ever-changing virus industry, new virus technologies, and solutions to effectively counteract the dynamic threat. Maintaining this expertise enables the ASSIST to provide guidance and assistance to other Federal agencies concerning the full range of virus protection. It has provided program implementation advice to the Department of State and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, as well as incident assistance to the House of Representatives and the White House. 

What can the ASSIST do for you? 

The ASSIST stands ready to provide guidance and consultation to any DOE organization in all of these areas, depending on the specialized needs of your user community and technical staff. The ASSIST can be reached by calling the DOE Headquarters HOTLINE at (301) 903-2500 (Option 4, ask for the ASSIST), or by contacting: