VIRUS

[Chook]

My computer has been badly infected with a Trojan Virus, despite being "protected" by Norton Anti-virus – and I want to tell you what happened so you don’t also get caught.
I opened Incredimail, last night, and I saw that I had received an official updated Security Patch from Microsoft which, they stated, was an upgrade against all known security holes in their products.
So I invoked the Attached file and, soon after, hundreds of E-mail messages started being received back as undeliverable, presumable rejected by the recipient’s anti-virus block.
Attempting to use Norton’s Anti-virus prompted the error message "Memory Access Violation in Module kernel 32 at 6534:28497941".
I asked Google to find Virus Scan and I found a site that claimed, "as a service", to scan and repair an infected computer. After a couple of hours’ downloading their files and scanning 66,476 files (slowed by constantly receiving returned e-mails) they found 21 files infected with the Win32HLLM.Gibe.2 virus. But when I requested a repair – a hefty payment was required, so I declined.
By the time I had found another promising free-anti-virus scan-and-repair site http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/.../start_corp.asp (http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp)
the time was nearly 1am in the morning so I went to bed, got up again at 5am and, to my surprise, I was able to re-install, live-upgrade and successfully run Norton’s Anti-virus program. It was not able to repair the infected files but quarantined them. Norton claimed the Virus was W32SWEN.ACMM.
Anyway – the purpose of this message is:
BE VERY CAREFUL IF YOU RECEIVE AN E-MAIL PURPORTED ORIGINATING FROM MICROSOFT CLAIMING TO BE A SECURITY UPDATE – WITH ATTACHED FILE. It could be a virus.

[Fraser]

Yeah, I get about 5 of those virus emails a day. Microsoft never emails you upgrade information, they only do it through their "Microsoft Update" service.

If I think I've got a virus, I usually use that housecall service from Trendmicro, it's saved me a couple of times.

Two other programs that can really help are Ad-Aware and Spybot. They can catch sneaky programs that are trying to steal your computer's control.

[Graceless]

I have recently been introduced to Ad-Aware. And 200 spyware files and something like 22 files later.....

I'm a convert. That's right. Ad-Aware is my master.

I have to stop looking at the "special" websites, methinks.

[DippyHippy]

Be careful with Ad Aware because when I tried it, it didn't get rid of that awful Gator spyware, whereas Spybot did. Spybot is a Godsend.

Personally, I never open attachments from anyone I don't know and I rarely even open attachments from people I DO know unless it's just a basic photo - because photos and images are inert, they can't carry viruses.

Also, I always double check any email purporting to be from a company that's requesting information about me. I bought some blank DVD's online recently and my order was delayed because I hadn't provided the three digit security number on the back of the card. They emailed me and asked me for it but I refused to do so in an email LOL I emailed the company from their website, forwarded the email to them and asked if it was genuine. It was and it delayed my order by a week but I'd rather do that than be sorry.

Don't ever give out passwords, usernames and never never give out *any* credit card information to *anyone* in an email.

And don't reply to spam unless you want some more, because even telling them where to go will confirm they have a valid email address. Likewise, spammers use programs to trawl the internet looking for email addresses on webpages. So if you've got a site, as I have, with an "email me" link at the bottom, you're more likely to get spam. I've got over 200 pages on my site with my email addy on each... 'nuff said :lol:

[Haglund]

One should be very careful about opening or running attachments from unknown people, or, for that matter, even from people that you know. If you absolutely must open an unknown, unrequested attachment, scan it with antivirus software first. Also, always use antivirus and a firewall running. Set the security settings in your browser and mailclient as high as possible, or better yet, be careful when running browsers such as Internet Explorer, or mailclients such as Outlook Express. Every other month there are a few new security holes found in those softwares, and that's only what they have found. There are probably many more left. I'm a little surprised that viruses like these can be spread so easily, when even mainstream media have reports about it and instructions on how to protect oneself.

[imported_Draco]

I've never download Microsoft updates...

[jonfr]

Originally posted by Draco@Dec 2 2003, 12:04 PM
I've never download Microsoft updates...
Since you use Windows (2000/XP) that is bad move, becose how buggy Windows really is, your Windows is going to get hit bad in the next virus rampage, i use Linux (gentoo Linux), but for you windows users, update often and use Ad-aware and other spyware remove tools and have an good antivirus program.

[Matthew]

Also never get you Windows patches from Microsoft over email, they don't send patches out on email.

I scan any attachment with a fully updated Nortant Anti-Virus before I open my attachments.

[DippyHippy]

I update and scan my system regularly with Nortons and Spybot... I have XP too and I've never downloaded an upgrade either. When that virus went round that exploited the security loophole in Windows, I checked to see which upgrades needed downloaded but after I realised they totalled 18MB I didn't bother. On a 56K modem I'd be there all day...