Email Viruses
by
An e-mail is being propagated through the net. Just like chain letters, it encourages readers to be aware of an e-mail virus that will kill your data when you open it. In this e-mail the reader is encouraged to forward it to as many people as possible so as to save them from apocalyptic doom. We researched the validity of this e-mail and discovered the following information on Symantec’s (manufacturers of Norton AntiVirus) site:
Penpal Greetings is not a virus. It is a hoax. The
"virus" does not exist. There is currently no virus that has the characteristics
ascribed to Penpal Greetings.
The e-mail message describing the virus is similar to the original Good Times virus e-mail hoax. It could even be described as a virus hoax strain.
The Penpal Greetings hoax message includes the following "warning":
This is a warning for all internet users - there is a dangerous virus propagating across the internet through an e-mail message entitled "PENPAL GREETINGS!" DO NOT DOWNLOAD ANY MESSAGE ENTITLED "PENPAL GREETINGS!"
This message appears to be a friendly letter asking you if you are interested in a penpal, but by the time you read this letter, it is too late. The "trojan horse" virus will have already infected the boot sector of your hard drive, destroying all of the data present. It is a self-replicating virus, and once the message is read, it will AUTOMATICALLY forward itself to anyone who's e-mail address is present in YOUR mailbox!
Please ignore any messages regarding this supposed "virus" and do not pass on any messages regarding it. Passing on messages about this hoax serves only to further propagate it.
If you need more information go to http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html"
While it is true that the internet is a great place to get yourself a virus there are a few rules that are a must if you want to protect yourself:
- Get yourself a good anti-virus product and leave it running during internet sessions and when uncompressing files, etc (if you have a fast computer you can leave it running continually).
- Download software only from reputable sites. While this is no guarantee that the programs you download are virus free (as was the case some time ago with software bundled with some computer magazines), normally these companies are expected to check for destructive code before they release anything.
- If you computer has BIOS based virus protection enable it. It may prove a little bit of a nuisance whenever anything changes in the boot sector, but will protect against boot sector attacks.
The negligible transmission costs plus the ease with which one can hide one's true identity make it so easy for someone to "have a little fun" this way. Being cautious helps, but with the right protection, you can sleep serenely.
"A hoax is almost as bad a message. It causes nothing but problems"
