ES - Virus ALERT -Reply

George Shafer gshafer at compucom.com
Fri Jun 26 06:16:28 PDT 1998


You know, I was sitting around here at work, just minding my own
business, and :poof: that stupid virus alert appeared in my mailbox from
someone in my company.  Well, I suppose this supports the theory about
how quickly these things spread via e-mail.  I thought you guys might find
that amusing.

Julian

>>> Paul Mitchell <pmitchel at flash.net> 06/25/98 10:10pm >>>
I'm sorry for the tone of this note, but phony virus
warnings are one of my hot buttons.

I will now examine the true nature of this virus:

Ceinwen wrote:
> 
> VIRUS ALERT!!!

Hmmmm.  All caps, with multiple exclamation points.  Tornado
Warnings don't even come in all caps with multiple exclamation
points.
 
> This is a new twist.  

New since when?  This warning is undated.  It's intended to be
resent by multiple recipients, but the actual warning isn't dated.

> Someone is sending out a very desirable
> screen-saver - the Budweiser Frogs.  

This is obviously a new and different usage of the term "desirable"
with which I was not previously familiar.

> But if you download it, you will
> lose everything!!!!

Real viruses don't go into action just from being downloaded.
But most virus "warnings" warn of _dire_ consequences from merely
downloading a virus.

> Your hard drive will crash!!!

If your computer is like mine, this is nothing special.
 
> DON'T DOWNLOAD THIS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!

More of all caps and multiple exclamation points.  If this were a
real warning, you would be directed who to contact when you suspect
you have encountered this virus.  And that would be your ISP,
FlashNet, or whomever you pay for your internet access.
 
> It just went into circulation last week.  Please distribute this to as
> many people as possible.  Microsoft just announced the info about this
> recently, so not many people know about it.  THX

Again, when?  What's the date on that announcement?  Is it on
Microsoft's
website?  I checked, and it is not.  No virus warnings even remotely
like
this are to be found on the Microsoft website.

> Below is what the screensaver offer would look like.
> File: BUDSAVER.EXE (24643 BYTES)
> dl TIME (38800 BPS):<1 minute

This is creative; it makes it look a little credible; but it 
doesn't overcome the rest of the unlikely things about this
warning.  Although I notice that the last line promises
that your download time at 38800 bps will be less than
one minute.  Do you have a 38800 modem?  More likely,
your modem is 28800, or 33600.  38800 is not a modem
speed I've ever encountered.

> Again, pass this along to EVERYONE in your address book so that this
may
> be stopped!

And here at last, we come to the true nature of the virus.  It doesn't
crash your harddrive, but it does clutter up your in-box.  And, if
all goes as planned, makes you an accessory in cluttering the inboxes
of everyone you know, as well.

Once again, if you don't know who wrote the virus warning,
or when, then you don't have enough information to pass along
the warning.  This warning carries no date, and doesn't even
imply that anyone at Microsoft wrote the warning.  

So, when you're _sure_ that the virus warning is legit,
that you've done your homework and checked it out yourself,
_still_ don't post it to the list.  Instead, send a note that
says "who elfsea" to <majordomo at ansteorra.org>, and this will
get you a list of all the subscribers.  Send it to each of them
individually.  What?  Is that too much trouble?  Maybe you're
not so sure that virus is real, after all.

Once again:  Disbelieve virus warnings.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled cordial Galen.

- Galen
Listadmin
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