What I have found out about forwarding email messages . . .
I just spent two hours researching the subject of "Virus warnings via email alerts".
This was prompted because I received an email forwarded to me by a trusted friend warning me that there is an
email circulating that says Osama Bin Laden has been hanged. This email supposedly has a hard drive
threatening virus attached to it. I searched the internet using the search criteria in the following two links.
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=virus+threats+osama+bin+laden&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-701
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=forwarding+virus+warning+emails&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-701
In summary, the results of my research are . . .
Forwarding these types of emails is a huge waste of time to both the sender and receiver.
If you think that a warning is legit . . . use the following website links to research it BEFORE forwarding it along.
If you DO find a REAL THREAT, by all means please tell me about it so that I can post it at
http://wintertexaninfo.com/INFORMATION/scamprevention.html
Please do NOT blindly forward emails to rod@wintertexaninfo.com
Please take the time to read the following information and save these websites for future reference.
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_osama_virus.htm
Comments: "Outdated. Antivirus software vendor Sophos confirms that Internet messages circulating in 2004
which purported to offer photographic evidence that Osama Bin Laden hanged himself actually linked to a
malicious Trojan horse file known as "Hackarmy," a "backdoor" program allowing hackers to remotely control
infected computers. The Web site containing the file no longer exists.
The best protection against such threats, say experts, is maintaining up-to-date antivirus software on your
computer. See links below for more information."
http://www.breakthechain.org/
"There are all sorts of junk e-mails floating around the Internet, but perhaps the most offensive is the junk we send
each other: bogus virus warnings, urban legends, offers of easy cash, letters that promise to help sick kids... the
list goes on."
"BreakTheChain.org tries to educate the world that e-mail is an unreliable medium for sharing information and that
the first step to reducing the amount of junk out there is to stop sending it yourself. The more junk you send, the
more you will get. Don't want the junk!" see also http://www.breakthechain.org/rb.html
http://www.freewarehof.org/email.html
"In fact 99% of the email virus warnings since email began is a hoax. ... should never, ever, EVER forward an
email virus warning until you first confirm ...
The vast majority of SPAM does not come from legitimate business. When you find email in your mailbox from a
stranger the chances are better than 10-to-1 it's a swindler who sent it. NEVER RESPOND! DELETE IT!"
http://www.gerryreid.com/email.htm#spam
"Verify all virus warnings before forwarding them. Most warning notes are hoaxes.
Delete chain letters, virus hoaxes."
http://www.gerryreid.com/viruses.htm#sites
Sites to Visit BEFORE Forwarding a Virus or Other Warning
If a real virus is on the attack check these useful sites:
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html These folks are the best in my book.
http://cnet.com/ (Click on Virus Alert)
http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/ (Check out Viruses and Hoaxes ) This site is not as fast as the above sites in posting
problems.
http://www.drsolomon.com/vircen/
http://www.europe.datafellows.com/v-descs/
http://www.av.ibm.com/current/FrontPage/
http://kumite.com/myths/ Great editorials along with information
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/virus-warning-forwards.shtml
"Whenever a significant new virus or other computer security threat emerges, it is not unusual for various
warnings about the threat to begin circulating via email. While the willingness to let others know about a potential
computer security threat is commendable, forwarding a "virus warning" email may not be the best way to approach
the issue. Like other email forwards, they tend to mutate as they travel from inbox to inbox. Even if the original
message was accurate, ongoing modifications can mean that the information can quite quickly lose its relevance.
The perceived danger can be significantly exaggerated and important details can become false or misleading.
Also, such messages often continue to circulate for months or even years after the described threat has subsided."
I just spent two hours researching the subject of "Virus warnings via email alerts".
This was prompted because I received an email forwarded to me by a trusted friend warning me that there is an
email circulating that says Osama Bin Laden has been hanged. This email supposedly has a hard drive
threatening virus attached to it. I searched the internet using the search criteria in the following two links.
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=virus+threats+osama+bin+laden&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-701
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=forwarding+virus+warning+emails&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-701
In summary, the results of my research are . . .
Forwarding these types of emails is a huge waste of time to both the sender and receiver.
If you think that a warning is legit . . . use the following website links to research it BEFORE forwarding it along.
If you DO find a REAL THREAT, by all means please tell me about it so that I can post it at
http://wintertexaninfo.com/INFORMATION/scamprevention.html
Please do NOT blindly forward emails to rod@wintertexaninfo.com
Please take the time to read the following information and save these websites for future reference.
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_osama_virus.htm
Comments: "Outdated. Antivirus software vendor Sophos confirms that Internet messages circulating in 2004
which purported to offer photographic evidence that Osama Bin Laden hanged himself actually linked to a
malicious Trojan horse file known as "Hackarmy," a "backdoor" program allowing hackers to remotely control
infected computers. The Web site containing the file no longer exists.
The best protection against such threats, say experts, is maintaining up-to-date antivirus software on your
computer. See links below for more information."
http://www.breakthechain.org/
"There are all sorts of junk e-mails floating around the Internet, but perhaps the most offensive is the junk we send
each other: bogus virus warnings, urban legends, offers of easy cash, letters that promise to help sick kids... the
list goes on."
"BreakTheChain.org tries to educate the world that e-mail is an unreliable medium for sharing information and that
the first step to reducing the amount of junk out there is to stop sending it yourself. The more junk you send, the
more you will get. Don't want the junk!" see also http://www.breakthechain.org/rb.html
http://www.freewarehof.org/email.html
"In fact 99% of the email virus warnings since email began is a hoax. ... should never, ever, EVER forward an
email virus warning until you first confirm ...
The vast majority of SPAM does not come from legitimate business. When you find email in your mailbox from a
stranger the chances are better than 10-to-1 it's a swindler who sent it. NEVER RESPOND! DELETE IT!"
http://www.gerryreid.com/email.htm#spam
"Verify all virus warnings before forwarding them. Most warning notes are hoaxes.
Delete chain letters, virus hoaxes."
http://www.gerryreid.com/viruses.htm#sites
Sites to Visit BEFORE Forwarding a Virus or Other Warning
If a real virus is on the attack check these useful sites:
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html These folks are the best in my book.
http://cnet.com/ (Click on Virus Alert)
http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/ (Check out Viruses and Hoaxes ) This site is not as fast as the above sites in posting
problems.
http://www.drsolomon.com/vircen/
http://www.europe.datafellows.com/v-descs/
http://www.av.ibm.com/current/FrontPage/
http://kumite.com/myths/ Great editorials along with information
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/virus-warning-forwards.shtml
"Whenever a significant new virus or other computer security threat emerges, it is not unusual for various
warnings about the threat to begin circulating via email. While the willingness to let others know about a potential
computer security threat is commendable, forwarding a "virus warning" email may not be the best way to approach
the issue. Like other email forwards, they tend to mutate as they travel from inbox to inbox. Even if the original
message was accurate, ongoing modifications can mean that the information can quite quickly lose its relevance.
The perceived danger can be significantly exaggerated and important details can become false or misleading.
Also, such messages often continue to circulate for months or even years after the described threat has subsided."
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
 |  |  |
