WARNING!!!! NEW VIRUS -super damaging (HOAX)

Chippy Wood · From: Elgin, Scotland

Hi All,
I checked with Norton Anti-Virus, and they are gearing up for this virus!
I checked snopes.com, and it is for real!!
Get this E-mail message sent around to your contacts ASAP.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS!

You should be alert during the next few days. Do not open any message with an attachment entitled 'You have received a POSTCARD from a family member,' regardless of who sent it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which 'burns' the whole hard disc C of your computer. This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list. This is the reason why you need to send this e-mail to all your contacts. It is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it.

If you receive a mail called' POSTCARD,' even though sent to you by a friend, do not open it! Shut down your computer immediately.

This is the worst virus announced by CNN. It has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever. This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information is kept.

COPY THIS E-MAIL, AND SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS. REMEMBER: IF YOU SEND IT TO THEM, YOU WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US.
_________________
Ron (Chippy) Wood
Fulawka D10
LDG

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

True, but not a new virus. It's been around since at least June of 07. If you have up to date Antivirus software it should take care of it.

Chippy Wood · From: Elgin, Scotland

Thanks Jack, first I heard of it was last night,still better safe than sorry.
_________________
Ron (Chippy) Wood
Fulawka D10
LDG

Wiz Feinberg · From: Mid-Michigan, USA

I strongly advise all computer users to maintain an active, up to date anti virus and anti spyware programs on their PCs and Macs. Re-forwarding virus hoaxes, or partial truths does not help anybody, but, good security programs do.

The greatest threats in the wild today are not the kind that Format your C drive. That is 1990's kiddy script stuff. Today, the real threats are spyware applications that you don't know you have running, because they use rootkits to hide their presence. These programs include keyloggers that steal your banking and other website logins, spam relays, botnet threats, remote control backdoors, DNS hijackers that reprogram broadband modems that do not have an administrator password set, Phishing scams, 419 scams, e-card Storm Trojan scams, Zlob video codec scams, and more of these types of malware threats. These are the things PC owners need to worry about and protect against.

No matter what type of operating system your computer is running, if it connects to the Internet, it needs to be updated on a regular basis. This applies to All Windows operating systems that are still supported by Microsoft, as well as Macs, Linux, Apache, Novell Unix, BIND, BEOS, Java Server Pages, PHP Scripts, ASP applications and even Cisco Routers. All of these contain or are Operating Systems that are hit with vulnerability exploits and which issue security updates on a monthly basis, in many cases.

Windows 2000, XP, Server 2000, Server 2003 and Vista have monthly Windows Updates pushed on on the second Tuesday of every month, and sometimes out of cycle, when a zero day exploit is loose. Set your Windows PCs to receive and apply Automatic Windows Updates. Macs also get monthly security patches pushed out, when needed. Secunia is a good place to visit to learn about the current unpatched and patched vulnerabilities that threaten your online security.

The Trend Micro Security Blog provides up to date details about new exploits in the wild.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog

Steve English · From: Baja, Arizona

There's plenty of places on the net to verify a virus threat

Here's some info on the hoax that Chippy referred to (see NOTE at the bottom), and the real threat of the genuine virus.

http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/postcard.asp
_________________
Always remember you're unique..... Just like everyone else

Wiz Feinberg · From: Mid-Michigan, USA

Steve;
Thank you for posting the link to Snopes. They are a great source of information on urban legends and Internet hoaxes/half truths. I have noticed that many of the hoaxes in the wild these days mention Snopes, to give authority to the scam. Most people won't bother looking up the hoax at snopes; they'll just fast forward it to everybody in their address book.

Everything I wrote about protecting your PC, in my previous reply in this thread, is valid. A well protected, secured/locked down computer can safely go where no man has gone before (and not get assimilated into a Botnet)!
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog

Don Lanier · From: Illinois, USA

Sometimes sending these messages to everyone in the address book can lead to the virus finding its way into your group as well. Snopes is really as Wiz says a Urban Legend sight and shouldnt be taken as the Gods Honest truth. Since people fear what they dont understand, a computer virus becomes the destroyer of all mankind, truth be told there are literally thousands of Viruses floating around in the wild. To be safe do routine updates, scans, and use a product like Spybot or Crap Cleaner to keep the BOTS at bay. I hate it when I get mass e mailings and see literally a thousand e mail addresses attached to an e mail thats now floating around in Cyber space all because panic has taken hold and reasonable folks throw caution to the wind.
_________________
Don Lanier
Pearl Pro Audio
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pearl-Pro-Audio/122348871157879
https://www.facebook.com/Pearlprocase

Jon Moen · From: Canada

Anything sent to everyone in your address book should be sent as Blind Copy (BCC).That way only one address will show in the email.
Personally, if I am being told to send an email to everyone in my address book, I immediately hit the delete button. That goes for virus warnings or chain letters.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

You can usually tell the hoaxes by the urgency of the message, such as "send this to everyone in your address book". Also citing Snopes, CNN, Microsoft, Norton, McAfee is usually another clue.

I've given up telling "friends" that send these to me, as I get "it doesn't hurt in case it's real". Someone with that attitude is doing exactly what the hoaxster wants done and is perpetuating the hoax.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Wiz Feinberg · From: Mid-Michigan, USA

I have been warning members about real e-card threats since they began appearing towards the end of June, 2007. Those threats all came from St. Petersburg, Russia, from individuals belonging to the infamous Russian Business Network, owners and controllers of the Storm Botnet. But the hoax mentioned in Chippy's post was a figment of somebody's twisted imagination, exploiting what is called the "False Authority Syndrome." Still, a lesson can be taken from this topic. That lesson is to distrust all messages contained in chain email letters. I automatically flag chain letters and delete them without reading them. Most are harmless time wasters. However, messages like the Postcard scam in this thread cause panic and lead to bottlenecks in email servers, as numerous people blindly re-forward the chain message to all of their friends, who then join into the foray.

My advice is as follows:

If you receive a message that has two or more FW: and/or FWD: in the subject and body, with some kind of dire warning, usually in a CAPS - delete it. Don't forward it to your friends. If you want to find out if it is real or a hoax, visit one of these websites and search for the keyword in the subject:

HOAXBUSTERS Home Page
Vmyths Hoax Pages
Urban Legends Website
Symantec Virus Hoaxes list
McAfee Virus Hoaxes lookup
Snopes
Search Google for virus hoax websites

If you want to ask us for our opinion about a possible hoax, and you can't find your answer on one of those websites, post a question about it in a new topic and paste the subject and gist of the message and we will advise you. Be careful to add the words "Possible Hoax" or "Is This A Hoax" to your topic subject.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog

Chippy Wood · From: Elgin, Scotland

Thank you b0b for correcting this post, I should of course have added that this email was received by me as printed on the forum in good faith, however I don't think it deserved the response you made, although I do see your point. However I shall refrain from contributing to the forum in future and also financialy to forum members who hit upon hard times as I have done in the past. I shall continue to avidly read members contributions on a daily basis.
_________________
Ron (Chippy) Wood
Fulawka D10
LDG

Forum Index > Computers		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: