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DIY Stompboxes => Building your own stompbox => Topic started by: amz-fx on February 01, 2004, 12:01:40 PM

Title: OT: virus emails
Post by: amz-fx on February 01, 2004, 12:01:40 PM
I think it is important that we all pay at least a small amount of attention to checking out our computers and scanning for virus infections.  This morning I had 80+ emails that came through overnight that were infected with the SoBig or MyDoom viruses!  

I use Mozilla for web & mail services so it is much less susceptible to virus infections of the recent types.  However, I have received a couple of messages from people complaining that I'm sending them viruses...  the truth is that these virus types forge the sender's name from the addressbook list as well as selecting a random person to send it to from there.  So...  the virus you are getting is not coming from who it is has listed as the Sender - it is a forged name.

A good place to start is to check out the free info at:

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/

They also have several free virus scanners/removers, such as:

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.novarg.a@mm.removal.tool.html

Let's all scan our machines and see if they need cleaning up!

Thanks,  Jack
Title: OT: virus emails
Post by: J. Luja on February 01, 2004, 12:27:35 PM
here's another free virus scanner  http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
Title: OT: virus emails
Post by: Peter Snowberg on February 01, 2004, 05:31:56 PM
Good stuff guys! Thank you for posting it! :D

I would also like to add that most viral infections start when you open unknown attachments so if you don't know EXACTLY what is being sent to you, DON'T OPEN IT!

To make yourself even more secure against stuff like this, use a mail program like Eudora and don't use Outlook. MS Outlook is like a petri dish in an incubator. Insecure by design.

Take care,
-Peter
Title: OT: virus emails
Post by: The Tone God on February 02, 2004, 03:33:45 PM
I got a bunch of these in a couple of mail boxes too. It doesn't thrill me to get them but at the same time I don't care. Mind you I'm not a fan of either Microsoft or SCO.

I too advise others to not use Outlook. I typically recommend Eudora Light since its free and is what I used when I used windows awhile ago.

How M$ keeps getting away with such obviously crappy software while car companies get sued/fined for bad gas tanks, breaks, tires, etc. is beyond me. I guess its because every flaw that is found they claim as a "feature". /rant

Andrew
Title: OT: virus emails
Post by: ExpAnonColin on February 02, 2004, 03:39:20 PM
The latest type of virus that keeps getting sent to me is one in which it says there was a Undelivered message, as is normal, however in this case all that is in the body of the message is the attachment.   Luckily I have a mac.  I was this close to downloading one of them a few days ago.

-Colin
Title: OT: virus emails
Post by: zachary vex on February 02, 2004, 03:40:47 PM
i've received a buttload of these things, many of which came from my own email address!  (i have a mac.)  i've received warning after warning from people saying that my computer may be infected, but obviously i'm just unlucky enough to appear in a lot of poor inattentive peoples' addy books.
Title: OT: virus emails
Post by: aron on February 03, 2004, 03:30:21 AM
Disgusting how many viruses and updates there are for my Windows computer.

Very sad. Use a Macintosh at home well, I have both, but the Macintosh surely has a lot less viruses.

I use AVG and Zone alarm on my PC... and Eudora.
Title: OT: virus emails
Post by: smoguzbenjamin on February 03, 2004, 11:01:32 AM
I heard that the MyDoom virus was written by Linux-fanatics and it is basically supposed to be a direct attack on Windows/Microsoft. What childish suckers :? What's the point of doing that? As far as I'm aware, Linux is a nice OS from a programmer's point of view, but I'm fond of Windows because all my computer games run on Windows :mrgreen: When I get bored I play nonsense games... :roll: And I guess that I'm used to Windows so I like it more because that's what I'm used to.