A Virus Warning

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Border Collie Rescue - On Line - Computer Viruses

A word about computer virus attacks

A recent ploy is to send out a message that appears to come from Microsoft. This message usually takes the form of a 'critical update' or 'patch' and has an attachment you are encouraged to open to 'safeguard' your PC against virus invasion. If you are daft enough to open the attachment you will release the virus in to your system. The e.mail message does look quite plausible with all the links to various pages of the real Microsoft website in place and working. However, the thing to bear in mind is that Microsoft do not send out e.mail messages with updates attached. You have to visit their update site to download patches. If you get one of these messages - delete it straight away!

We have put a copy of one of these messages below so you can see what you don't want to see in your inbox - we have disconnected all the links and graphics and (of course) the virus infected attachment has been deleted - so you are quite safe.

Microsoft	Support \| Search \| Microsoft.com Guide
	Microsoft Home

Microsoft Customer

this is the latest version of security update, the "September 2003, Cumulative Patch" update which eliminates all known security vulnerabilities affecting MS Internet Explorer, MS Outlook and MS Outlook Express as well as three newly discovered vulnerabilities. Install now to maintain the security of your computer from these vulnerabilities, the most serious of which could allow an malicious user to run code on your system. This update includes the functionality of all previously released patches.

System requirements	Windows 95/98/Me/2000/NT/XP
This update applies to	MS Internet Explorer, version 4.01 and later MS Outlook, version 8.00 and later MS Outlook Express, version 4.01 and later
Recommendation	Customers should install the patch at the earliest opportunity.
How to install	Run attached file. Choose Yes on displayed dialog box.
How to use	You don't need to do anything after installing this item.

Microsoft Product Support Services and Knowledge Base articles can be found on the Microsoft Technical Support web site. For security-related information about Microsoft products, please visit the Microsoft Security Advisor web site, or Contact Us.

Thank you for using Microsoft products.

Please do not reply to this message. It was sent from an unmonitored e-mail address and we are unable to respond to any replies.

The names of the actual companies and products mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

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	Š2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use \| Privacy Statement \| Accessibility

More about the common virus

shutdown.jpg (43079 bytes)

This cartoon copyright to Londons Times Cartoons by Rick London and reproduced here with kind permission.

Computer virus attacks are common these days and can come in with e.mails or be planted by hackers.

Be safe on line by making sure you have a good virus protection program that checks files and incoming e.mails and takes action to detect and prevent the spread to your system, of any virus sent to you. Keep it regularly updated.

If you spend any time on line you may be the occasional subject of a hacking scan. Hackers frequently scan for PC's and systems that are online with open ports allowing an outsider into the system.

Once in, they can do damage if they want to - and some are small minded enough to interfere with any vulnerable machine -so fit a Firewall for maximum protection.

Below is an example of a virus scare, a virus description from a protection service and links to find out more.

This warning was forwarded to us as an attachment which we were reluctant to open. Once we had received assurance from the person who sent it to us we opened it to reveal this -

-----Original Message-----
From: Natalie Hackett
Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2000 4:27 PM
To: Various
Subject: Virus Warning

PASS THIS ON TO ANYONE YOU HAVE AN E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR.
If you receive an email titled "Lets watch TV" DO NOT
OPEN IT.

It will erase everything on your hard drive.
This information was announced yesterday morning from
IBM; AOL
states that "KALI" is a very dangerous virus, much
worse than "Melissa", and
that there is NO remedy for it at this time.

Some very sick individual has succeeded in using the
reformat
function from Norton Utilities causing it to
completely erase all documents on
the hard drive. It has been designed to work with
Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. It
destroys Macintosh and IBM compatible computers.

This is a new, very malicious virus And not many
people know about it.

Pass this warning along to EVERYONE in your address
book and please share it with all your online friends
ASAP so that this threat may be
stopped.

Please practice cautionary measures and tell anyone
that may have access to your computer.

We would suggest - in this dubious age - that you do not open 'sus' attachements to e.mails, unless you are sure of the origin and have checked with the sender.

There is a virus 'Kali-4' which is real enough, although this warning about this form of 'Kali' virus happens to be a hoax and a time waster.

But it would not be prudent to ignore such warnings - the person who sent us this message was quite sincere and had received the warning from another quite sincere person.

The perputator of the hoax is way back down the line - however warnings may be real, so bear in mind they can be checked - as this one has been and is revealed below.

This type of 'hoax' will probably never be stopped - there will always be enough people with childish personalities and access to computers to keep them coming. There are 'cowboys' - (english word in common usage in the UK to describe someone who does a job badly or takes shortcuts and stupid risks) in evey aspect of human activity.

The following website can provide information on viruses and virus hoaxes -

http://vil.nai.com/villib/alpha.asp

The information below is the report on the 'Kali' virus from that website.

Profile

Virus Name
KALI

Aliases
AOL Announced hoax
IBM Announced hoax
Lets watch TV
Simon Pugh hoax

Variants

None

Description Added
3/8/00

Virus Information


	Discovery Date:	3/8/00
	Type:	Hoax
	SubType:	E-mail
	Risk Assessment:	-
	Minimum Dat:	N/A
	DAT Release Date:

Virus Characteristics
The following is a copy of an email hoax message which may be circulating the Internet by concerned users who may be tricked into believing there is such a virus or trojan. Ignore this message and/or delete it. Do not forward this message on to others as it suggests.

-----------copy of hoax message------
Subject: IBM OFFICIAL VIRUS WARNING

PASS THIS ON TO ANYONE YOU HAVE AN E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR.

If you receive an email titled "Lets watch TV" DO NOT OPEN IT.

It will erase everything on your hard drive. This information was announced yesterday morning from IBM; AOL states that "KALI" is a very dangerous virus, much worse than "Melissa," and that there is NO remedy for it at this time. Some very sick individual has succeeded in using the reformat function from Norton Utilities causing it to completely erase all documents on the hard drive. It has been designed to work with Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. It destroys Macintosh and IBM compatible computers.

This is a new, very malicious virus and not many people know about it.

Pass this warning along to EVERYONE in your address book and please share it with all your online friends ASAP so that this threat may be stopped.

Please practice cautionary measures and tell anyone that may have access to your computer. Forward this warning to everyone that might access the Internet.
-----------end of hoax message------

Symptoms
Not applicable. This email hoax is not related to the existing known virus named "Kali-4".

Method Of Infection
Not applicable.

Removal Instructions
Users should either ignore or delete messages received matching this description.
_____

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