Re: Virus-alert

["Wayne Cressman" <WCressman@csi.com>]

<x-charset iso-8859-1>I second what T Berk is saying.

As far as I'm aware, and I'm almost 100% sure here, you're not going to
contract a PC virus by opening up and viewing email, as email is not an
executable file.  The only way a virus can be spread is via an attachment to
an email, since an attachment can be any type of file, including an
executable one.  So don't worry about reading email, just don't open
suspicious looking attachments from people you don't know or trust.  And we
can clarify further what a suspicious looking file is - it's a file that can
execute a program on your PC.  These are either native executable files,
such as .exe or .bat, or files that contain macro files such as Microsoft
Office files.  Files that have other suffixes, such as the graphics format
.jpg or .gif, are not going to be a problem as your system will treat them
as data files that need to be opened up by the relevant program on your PC.
And you can even protect yourself against Office Macros by changing your
Office options to ask you whether to run macros in Office files you open.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Wayne C.

 ----- Original Message -----
From: T Berk <tberk@mindspring.com>
To: <jlagnese@cybertours.com>
Cc: <scirocco-L@scirocco.org>
Sent: Sunday, October 17, 1999 1:47 AM
Subject: Re: Virus-alert


>
> John Lagnese wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> > I got a warning to beware of an e-mail "Lump of coal" coming around
> > X-mas.
> > John
> >
> > --
>
> Two, No make that Three things- [Four - SHIT!, Ok. Now the other three.]
>
> 1. FUD - Don't spread it around. (Fear Uncertainty, Doubt.)
>
> 2. Most general (might I say Out of the Blue) virus warnings you get,
> esp with an official sound to it are Urban Myth. Otherwise known as
> "...there is a virus called [fill in the blank] and it is deleting hard
> drive data, destroying your love life, and contacting space aliens with
> your system's contents. IBM & AOL have agreed that is the most deadly
> virus since sliced bread... blah, blah, blah...". Sound familiar?
>
> 3. I don't want a message from you that says there is a problem but
> leaves out any way to corroborate it. There are a buuunch of folks on
> the list. Each of us uses a computer. Most of us are in positions of
> responsibility for delivering computer support of one kind or another to
> those around us, if not at our jobs directly then to friends and family.
> We all need to take warnings seriously. Folks who spread FUD on the list
> get tagged as "the Boy who cried Wolfsburg".
>
> You don't want this.
>
> In the future include some details, a link, or verify it yourself 1st
> before broadcasting to such a wide audience.
>
> If this sounds harsh, excuse me.
> If it helps someone then I have accomplished what I set out to do.
>
> Each check the following links to see for himself;
>
> <http://vil.mcafee.com/dispHoax.asp?id=vh10342>
> <http://vil.mcafee.com/hoax.asp>
> <http://www.mcafee.com/centers/anti-virus/default2.asp>
>
>
> I went and looked into this after starting this rant and this is an
> excerpt;
>
> Virus Hoax
> Lump of Coal
> NAI Labs AVERT would like to inform you of a new email HOAX.
>
> This email message is just a HOAX, currently we know of no other message
> that the user will
> receive about the HOAX as the initial email states. AVERT has not
> received any report of a user's
> hard drive being erased for opening the email.
>
> We are advising users who receive the email to delete it and DO NOT pass
> it on as this is how an
> email HOAX propagates...... <There's more, go see for yourself, tb>
>
>
> Scirocco content:
>
> I'm planning on slapping a quick & dirty cat back exhaust on the 'Roc,
> on of those $150 jobbies. <sigh> My heart's not in Scirocco content
> right now, I'm Audi.
>
> TBerk
>
> --
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> "unsubscribe scirocco-l" in the message to majordomo@scirocco.org
>


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