Oops double post.
A worm that deletes Microsoft Word, winzip files, powerpoints, excel files etc etc refer to my post above.
It usually comes in via email.
To add salt to the wound, it will engage and shut down antivirus soft ware as well. Especially those that are not updated tp after Feb 23.
The media is quite slow at issuing warnings. The sites I listed are the ones that usually start making notices about some problems on the net. Sometimes it takes place within hours or in this case weeks.
The trigger is the third of every month, so there is no good reason NOT to adequately protect your computer.
As an IT professional, I’ll add my two bits here, which mostly sums up what others have said:
- NEVER open an email attachment from an unknown source.
- NEVER open an unexpected email attachment from someone you know, if you aren’t expecting the attachment. Virus writers use “spoofing” which basically takes an infected person’s email address book and send virus laden emails to all the addresses it harvests, but makes it appear to have come from the infected persons email address.
- If at all practical, update your virus protection DAILY. Most AV vendors put out daily patches, but some programs, such as Norton Antivirus, only update their LiveUpdate servers once a week or when a major outbreak occurs.
- The most important thing to remember about virus protection is that it is like calling the police AFTER you have been robbed. New viruses need to exist before DAT files can be updated to detect them. Therefore, always always always use caution and suspicion when looking at your inbox.
A lot of companies, like mine, have chosen to block certain extensions of attached files from even being delivered. As a matter of fact, we only alow a handful of attachment types to come in. Unfortunately, most home email clients don’t have this level of functionality, but you can use rules in Outlook to sort of filter some of it out.
Looks like the Kama Sutra “will delete everything on your hard drive” threat has fizzeled.
While you don’t want to ignore virus’s and the damage they can do, fears of “will wipe out all the files on most people’s computers” are generally overblown, as they were in this case.
It looks like it will all blow over with barely a wimper.
We call Outlook “Lookout!” at my work. I describe Outlook and Outlook Express as “virus distribution programs that happen to include some email functionality.” [swg]
Seriously, I’ve had Outlook email attachments really trash my computer bad, and IE spyware has at times totally ruined my internet browsing experience.
Since I’ve moved to Thnderbird for my email client and Firefox as my defaut browser, life has been good. No more trash from the internet gets on my computer without my explict say so.
Joe - Make sure you knock on wood when you say that 
My boss, the CIO of our company, asked me today how everything way going, and I said “Fine, and it looks like that one thing isn’t going to be a problem like everyone said.” I was knocking on his desk while I said that. He said “what thing?”. I said, “I can’t say…but don’t worry about it”.
Some of us IT guys are superstitious that way…
But anyway, you are right - the “panic” these alerts can cause can be almost as bad as the payload of the virus. I guess the upside is that it helps people maintain awareness and good practices with computer and email usage.
I have to laugh when people say about “not to never open up an email from someone you don’t know”. You can be just as vulnerable opening an email up from a family member, friend, neighbor. And these are emails you know. If the worm infected them it is sending out emails from their address book to everyone. There really is no way of being 100% safe.
Outlook/Outlook Express has caused nothing but problems for me as well. I, too, use Mozilla products, and have seen a decrease in “crap.”
Oh, and I made through without getting the virus. (Like I was expecting it…[:D][(-D])
Matt
Thanks for bothering to post a reminder anyway, Crandell. I updated my software just incase.
I have to agree with the above. OUTLOOK & OUTLOOK EXPRESS are 2 of the worst things out there. Another one is INTERNET EXPLORIER. It is by far the worst search engine around. They let anything through.
I think in most cases you are more vulnerable to get a virus from someone you know (even though their address is spoofed) than an unknown person. If one thinks about it, most of the viruses are spread using addresses harvested from someones email address book, which means the infected person probably knows all of the people whom they are unknowingly infecting.
It’s really amazing at work, when people will say “well, I thought it was OK to open, 'cuz it was from my mom”… Virus writers use social engineering to spread their wares, that’s for sure.
[
We call Outlook “Lookout!” at my work. I describe Outlook and Outlook Express as “virus distribution programs that happen to include some email functionality.” [swg]
HAHAHA. Now That’s funny. I’ve never heard it called “Lookout” before. We call Windows Explorer, Windows Exploder… And something I hadn’t heard until this week - if you are at all familiar with the Blackberry devices - Apparently people are so addicted to using them, the nickname for the device is the Crackberry.
Boy, we’re way off topic. Sorry everyone. I’ll stop now.
I kinda feel sorry for all you windows users out there. All the adware, spyware malware, and viruses that you have to constantly worry about! [banghead] must be a real pain in the keester for you. Hopefully it doesn’t interfere with your railroading activities too much.[:D]
Hard to really know yet as the people who got nailed can’t use their computers yet and most are too embarased to admit what they were trying to look at on their computers! LOL [;)][;)][;)] [:D]
Anyone have any trouble with this threat? Nothing happened to me at home or at work.
The media reports are now saying it was not so bad as first thought. So, IS the sky falling…or …not? []
It’s not falling.
The www.sans.org reported very little problems with this worm.
Makes me want to install Linux on the other box and simply browse the net from there. LOL.