Computer Viruses:  What's Real ? What's Not ?

Please email ALL Virus Warnings to  Rebecca Jones   <- clic here

DO NOT mail her any attachments.  Just the name and description.

DO NOT send Virus Warnings to the list.

New viruses are appearing every day - and so are virus hoaxes! Here's a little background on these hoaxes so you won't unknowingly spread them.

Real viruses are executable programs that either attach themselves to the boot sector of your hard drive or to particular program files or documents. Viruses are usually transmitted as an attachment to a message. Virus hoaxes are usually text e-mails that say something like "don't read this message or you will lose all your data." 

  Do NOT open any attachment to any email, even if you know the person who is
   sending the message, without virus scanning the attachment first. The
   current crop of new viruses are using the infected person's email address
   book to send out copies of itself to every person you email after infection.

These virus hoaxes are designed to fool less technically-savvy computer users. The authors make the threats sound very serious and they instruct you to warn all of your friends too to the dangers of this terrible virus. So you send the warning message to twelve of your dearest friends and they send it to a dozen or so of their friends and so on. The hoax is now spreading across the country and is sucking up precious network resources. Of course, this is just what the prankster wants to happen.

The text of these e-mails sounds extremely serious, though. One of the hoaxes quotes the Center for Internet Security and another says the "FCC has released a warning" about a threatening virus. This information is not true, so please don't be fooled. Listed below are the names of virus hoaxes that have been discovered so far (compiled from the McAfee and Symantec Virus Research sites) :

"Hoax" Viruses:

AOLFree Irina
Baby New Year Join the Crew
Bud Frogs Screen Saver A Moment of Silence
BUDDYLST.ZIP E-mail Penpal
Deeyenda Returned or Unable to Deliver
Ghost.exe Valentine's Greetings
Good Times  

Delete any messages containing the hoaxes listed above and DO NOT forward them to anyone. You will only propagate the hoax.

But before you get too complacent, be reminded that there are real, destructive viruses out there. You should have either Norton Anti-Virus or McAfee VirusScan loaded on your PC. Please make sure that your PC is either scanned on boot-up or that you scan manually at least once a week. Viruses spread quickly so you want to make sure your files are clean before passing them on.

Also remember to update your virus definition files. HUH? What are virus definition files, you say? Each month the anti-virus companies release updates to their software so they can detect new viruses or new strains of existing viruses. It is important to keep your virus definitions up-to-date or newer viruses may be able to infect your files. When new definition files are available from the vendors, obtain copies of them and put on your PC so you can update your anti-virus software. 

If you receive an e-mail about a new virus and you are unsure whether it's a hoax or not,
please contact: Rebecca Jones She is our Virus Guardian, and she will investigate it.

Then SHE will post a warning, if needed.

10 MOST COMMON REAL VIRUSES:

AntiCMOS Monkey
NYB Concept
Wazzu AntiExe
Stealth_C Cap
FORM Junkie


"Thanks for your support".
Rebecca Jones   db Virus Guardian