Re: "peverted" post and viruses
Vikki A. Stefans
Description
Collection
Title:
Re: "peverted" post and viruses
Creator:
Vikki A. Stefans
Date:
11/11/1999
Text:
Well, the BAD news is this is no longer totally true- here is some info
about a new one that under just the right circumstances could do it
without intentionally opening up anything...personally, I suggest anyone
who has a choice use a mailer other than MS Outlook or Exchange. That
whole system is just too full of opportunites to do things automatically
that supposedly make things easier, but I think just cause you to lose
control of your computing...
(see below)
Vikki Stefans, pediatric physiatrist (rehab doc for kids) and working
Mom of Sarah T. and Michael C., aka <Email Address Redacted>
Arkansas Children's Hospital/ U of A for Medical Sciences, Little Rock
...and EVERY mom is a working mom! (OK, dads too...)
On Thu, 11 Nov 1999 <Email Address Redacted> wrote:
> Secondly, For everyone's info., viruses can't be contracted by your
> computer from mail unless you download an attached file. Just opening and
> reading mail will not put your computer at risk. Once Dave downloaded the
> file, his mailbox got infected and caused the post to the O&P list. The
> moral is: Don't download files from anyone you don't know and trust. Even if
> you know them, there's a chance THEY don't know there's a problem.
From [system administrator] Thu Nov 11 19:44:33 1999
Yes, this is a real virus. It affects Internet Explorer 5 users that have
Windows Scripting Host Installed, which is standard in Windows 98 and
Windows 2000. The worm can only be executed if the the Internet Zone is set
to High. However, this is another email worm that will be caught at the
SMTP gateway level. The risk assessment is low. [note- this applies to
our SMTP gateway locally- they can catch Melissa and Papa before we get
it now also, you may not be covered yet- VS]
To: <Email Address Redacted>
Subject: [OK] Time to Update Your Virus Protection
I don't often forward these kinds of alerts, but this is a new twist on an
e-mail virus. Normally, you can avoid viruses by taking care not to open
attachments. This one launches itself just by being previewed in Outlook
and some other mail programs. It looks like the only protection is to
install and continuously update a good virus checker program.
<URL Redacted>
New Computer Virus 'Bubbleboy' Found
PALO ALTO, Calif. (Reuters) - Researchers have discovered what they believe
to be the first e-mail-borne computer infection that doesn't require a user
to open an e-mail or e-mail attachment for it to wreak havoc.
``Historically, as long as you don't open e-mail attachments you're safe
from virus infection, but this changes all that,'' said Sal Viveros, a
marketing manager at Network Associates. ''We've finally come to the point
where if you're using e-mail, specifically Microsoft's Outlook, you need to
have some sort of virus protection or you shouldn't read e-mail.''
Although the Bubbleboy virus that researchers received last night didn't
cause harm such as deleting files or stealing passwords, it won't be long
before variants crop up that are indeed destructive, Viveros said.
about a new one that under just the right circumstances could do it
without intentionally opening up anything...personally, I suggest anyone
who has a choice use a mailer other than MS Outlook or Exchange. That
whole system is just too full of opportunites to do things automatically
that supposedly make things easier, but I think just cause you to lose
control of your computing...
(see below)
Vikki Stefans, pediatric physiatrist (rehab doc for kids) and working
Mom of Sarah T. and Michael C., aka <Email Address Redacted>
Arkansas Children's Hospital/ U of A for Medical Sciences, Little Rock
...and EVERY mom is a working mom! (OK, dads too...)
On Thu, 11 Nov 1999 <Email Address Redacted> wrote:
> Secondly, For everyone's info., viruses can't be contracted by your
> computer from mail unless you download an attached file. Just opening and
> reading mail will not put your computer at risk. Once Dave downloaded the
> file, his mailbox got infected and caused the post to the O&P list. The
> moral is: Don't download files from anyone you don't know and trust. Even if
> you know them, there's a chance THEY don't know there's a problem.
From [system administrator] Thu Nov 11 19:44:33 1999
Yes, this is a real virus. It affects Internet Explorer 5 users that have
Windows Scripting Host Installed, which is standard in Windows 98 and
Windows 2000. The worm can only be executed if the the Internet Zone is set
to High. However, this is another email worm that will be caught at the
SMTP gateway level. The risk assessment is low. [note- this applies to
our SMTP gateway locally- they can catch Melissa and Papa before we get
it now also, you may not be covered yet- VS]
To: <Email Address Redacted>
Subject: [OK] Time to Update Your Virus Protection
I don't often forward these kinds of alerts, but this is a new twist on an
e-mail virus. Normally, you can avoid viruses by taking care not to open
attachments. This one launches itself just by being previewed in Outlook
and some other mail programs. It looks like the only protection is to
install and continuously update a good virus checker program.
<URL Redacted>
New Computer Virus 'Bubbleboy' Found
PALO ALTO, Calif. (Reuters) - Researchers have discovered what they believe
to be the first e-mail-borne computer infection that doesn't require a user
to open an e-mail or e-mail attachment for it to wreak havoc.
``Historically, as long as you don't open e-mail attachments you're safe
from virus infection, but this changes all that,'' said Sal Viveros, a
marketing manager at Network Associates. ''We've finally come to the point
where if you're using e-mail, specifically Microsoft's Outlook, you need to
have some sort of virus protection or you shouldn't read e-mail.''
Although the Bubbleboy virus that researchers received last night didn't
cause harm such as deleting files or stealing passwords, it won't be long
before variants crop up that are indeed destructive, Viveros said.
Citation
Vikki A. Stefans, “Re: "peverted" post and viruses,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 1, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/212265.
