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View Full Version : Antivirus updates and common sense



Krell
June 30th, 2003, 02:56 AM
This is an exerpt from

http://www.msnbc.com/news/931205.asp



SoBig spam-virus still spreading

Tempting e-mails trick recipients into aiding spammers


June 26 — It’s part-spam, part-virus and becoming a complete nuisance. The latest version of the “SoBig” virus continued to worm its way around the Internet on Thursday, infecting far more computers than any of its four predecessors. Recognizable by subject lines such as “Re: Movies” or “Re: application,” along with an attached Zip file, the malicious program can turn infected PCs into hijacked spam machines.

UPDATE YOUR ANTIVIRUS DEFINITIONS



TRICKY ZIP FILE

This new version of SoBig is successfully spreading because it was adjusted to outwit many corporate antivirus techniques. It spreads as a “.zip” file, a commonly used compression format. Many corporations that now block potentially infected attached files, such as .exe files or Word documents, still let Zip files through to e-mail recipients.
In the past, opening Zip files required a little extra work by the recipient, but Microsoft’s Windows XP comes with software which makes it easy — and in this case, makes the virus writers’ job a little easier as well.

SCAN YOUR ATTACHMENTS AND EMAILS


FAKE WINDOWS-UPDATE
In fact, the second of Wednesday’s malicious e-mails — known simply as “Downloader-BN” — is pure spam, just an e-mail without malicious code, said Craig Schmugar, a virus research engineer at Network Associates Inc.’s McAfee division. The author simply sent a spam urging recipients to visit a Web site and download a critical update for Windows. Perhaps hundreds of thousands of the notes went out, Schmugar said. Spam techniques are so efficient now, he said, that some viruses no longer have to worry about clever programming techniques to spread their worms.

DON'T BE A SUCKER


Everyone, dont get ahead of yourselves. Take the time to update your system, to run your FULL antivirus scans, to defrag your systems.

If you want a 2nd opinion, use this free, always up to date viruscan.

http://housecall.antivirus.com/housecall/start_corp.asp


.

Psilaxs
June 30th, 2003, 04:56 AM
I still dont get it, I hate to sound negetive, but if people were smart enough to NOT open attachments from people they do not know we wouldn't have this problem.

I have a cousin who's computer is ALWAYS getting infected.

The conversations are as follows.

Her: My computer says it has a virus

Me: Now what happend?

Her: I don't know, I got this e-mail downlaoded it, opened it, executed it and i got a virus

Me: Why the &*&% did you download an attachment from someone you do not know?

Her: This one looked different.

Me: STOP OPENING ATTACHMENTS FROM PEOPLE YOU DON'T KNOW!!

Her: (Giggles) Well this one said it was something cool (or different, or it looked different)

Me: From now on, if it isn't from me or someone on your contact list do not open it!

Her: (giggles) ok, i will "try"

I have said it before, you put someone in front of a computer, and common sense goes right out the nearest window, and IQ points drop by a factor or 40% or more.

ferrarimodena360
June 30th, 2003, 05:16 AM
Originally posted by Psilaxs
I still dont get it, I hate to sound negetive, but if people were smart enough to NOT open attachments from people they do not know we wouldn't have this problem.

I have a cousin who's computer is ALWAYS getting infected.

The conversations are as follows.

Her: My computer says it has a virus

Me: Now what happend?

Her: I don't know, I got this e-mail downlaoded it, opened it, executed it and i got a virus

Me: Why the &*&% did you download an attachment from someone you do not know?

Her: This one looked different.

Me: STOP OPENING ATTACHMENTS FROM PEOPLE YOU DON'T KNOW!!

Her: (Giggles) Well this one said it was something cool (or different, or it looked different)

Me: From now on, if it isn't from me or someone on your contact list do not open it!

Her: (giggles) ok, i will "try"

I have said it before, you put someone in front of a computer, and common sense goes right out the nearest window, and IQ points drop by a foctor or 40% or more.

LOL its a blonde joke (giggles)

vipp
June 30th, 2003, 05:37 AM
Yes it's important to keep your antivirus software up to date. But even more important is the "use common sense" approach, and NEVER open ANY files that did not come from a trusted source.

matt merch
June 30th, 2003, 05:39 AM
Virus name: Sobig.E


Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2003]


We are receiving alerts about a worm that is spreading around the Internet contained in a .zip archive file.!!!! What is surprising to security analysts is that this worm is spreading at all since it cannot execute without user intervention. Security analysts believe the rapid spread indicates that recipients are still opening email attachments even after they have been warned many times that it is unsafe to do so.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!