Hi all!
Thanks for the many comments and suggestions about how to check for virus
authenticity. I wasn't asking the question, just sort of planting a seed
for thought.
Most hoaxes seem to follow the same pattern. AOL, IBM, or Microsoft said
... Please tell everyone ... This is not a hoax ... Some carry someone's
signature at the end.
Unfortunately for me, there was a warning sent by our network administrator
at work on Friday, about a virus (e-mail file attachment) that our virus
scanning software company warned him about. I have personally seen that
attachment in an e-mail at home. (lends some credability, doesn't it?) I
spent a bit of time trying to remember where the e-mail was from and what I
had done with it. I seem to remember that my brother-in-law might have been
the sender. So, I come home and get an official cut and paste message from
my brother-in-law giving information about the same virus. hmmmm! I will
take this one seriously enough to check it out for myself. I updated my
virus software from Symantec's web site last night and did a scan. While I
have been thinking about doing a way overdue backup, I haven't yet. Perhaps
Sunday will be good.
My advice: get some virus scanning software and do backups. If a warning
says 'tell everyone'; don't tell anyone. (or write back to the sender :) )
Not all hoaxes are about computers. Some are about AIDS infected needles
stuffed into theatre seats, and political policies and other creative items.
I know of a doctor in this city who cannot use his office phone anymore
because someone put his signature at the bottom of the 'needle' hoax. And,
I know someone who got stuck with a needle in a theatre seat when a copycat
probably got the idea from the e-mail (didn't test positive).
Turns out it's real:
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/worm.explore.zip.html
... so, while I have been exposed, I haven't been infected. Phew !
Quickview must have saved me from opening that attachment.
off my soapbox now ...
Robert Duquette
Ottawa ON Canada
http://www3.sympatico.ca/robertduquette
RobertDuquette@Sympatico.ca
'65 RHD BRG Sprite
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