Virus alert!

[Avery Todd]

Dave and List,

   Well, you invited responses. :-)

Avery

*****************************************************************************

Subject: E-Mail Viruses

From: TOURBUS -- 24 APRIL 1997

VIRUSES IN E-MAILS?!
--------------------

Is it just me, or has there been a FLOOD of virus warnings on the Net
recently?  I have received so many of these warnings over the past couple
of weeks that I decided to write a "canned reply" so that I would be able
to respond to all of these virus warnings.

Wanna see my "Viruses in E-mails?" canned reply?  Here you go! (And you are
more than welcome to steal this if you want.)

     Thank you for your recent letter concerning e-mail-borne viruses.
     Unfortunately, most of the virus warnings floating around the Net
     right now are hoaxes.  There are, however, two rules that you
     need to remember to be able to sort out the true virus warnings
     from the hoaxes, and to protect yourself from becoming infected
     with a virus or a Trojan horse:

          1. Regular, plain-text e-mail letters -- the plain old
             vanilla e-mail letters (like this one) that you receive
             every day -- can *NOT* contain viruses or Trojan horses.
             Period.  It does not matter what you may have heard from
             your friends, co-workers, newspaper, government, or
             religious leaders.  Plain e-mail letters can not contain
             viruses or Trojan horses.  It does not matter WHAT the
             subject line of the letter is -- "Good Times," "PenPal
             Greetings," "Deeyenda," "Irina," "AOL4FREE," "I AM A
             REALLY MEAN VIRUS AND I AM GOING TO EAT YOUR HARD DRIVE"
             -- plain text e-mail letters simply can not contain
             viruses or Trojan horses.  If anyone tells you otherwise,
             they are either lying or are badly misinformed.

          2. Files that are attached to e-mail letters -- like Lotus
             or Excel spreadsheet files and *especially* Microsoft
             Word files -- can, and probably do, contain viruses and
             Trojan horses.  How can you protect yourself?  VIRUS
             CHECK EVERY SINGLE ATTACHMENT THAT YOU RECEIVE THROUGH E-
             MAIL (AND EVERY SINGLE FILE THAT YOU DOWNLOAD FROM THE
             INTERNET).  If your boss, best friend, worst enemy,
             family pet, significant other, insignificant other,
             teacher, tribal member, or political leader sends you a
             file attached to an e-mail document, VIRUS CHECK THAT
             FILE.  It does not matter what the subject line of the e-
             mail letter to which that file is attached is called.
             VIRUS CHECK THAT FILE!

     I hope this clears things up.  :)


>Dear Friends and Collegues,
>
>My wife sent this to me from her place of work and believe you should take
>notice. I appreciate your comments on the list and would not want to lose any
>of you do to a virus causing your computer to crash.
>
>Dave Peake, RPT
>Portland, OR
>
>
>>>THIS MESSAGE IS FROM A REUPTABLE SOURCE. PLEASE SCREEN YOUR INCOMING
>>>E-MAIL AND
>>>TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION.  OUR VIRUS PROTECTION DOES NOT HAVE AN ANTIDOTE FOR
>>>THIS VIRUS AT THIS TIME.  THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.
>>>
>>>
>>>---------------------- Forwarded by Tony Golda/Encore on 02/10/98 08:30 AM
>>>---------------------------
>>>
>>>
>>>lbabino@swspectrum.com on 02/06/98 12:19:00 PM
>>>To:     Tony Golda/Encore@Encore
>>>cc:
>>>Subject:
>>>
>>>From: Larry Babino
>>>Date: Fri, Feb 6, 1998 12:19 PM
>>>To: TGolda
>>>
>>>FYI For ALL Software Spectrum Customers  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>>>
>>>
>>>Please READ THIS IS FOR REAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>>>
>>>To: All IBM Global Services Personnel (Contractors/Vendors)
>>>From: Linda Pittinsky, IBM Global Services, Pine Brook
>>>Subject: Virus Warning !!!!!!
>>>FYI: Forwarding note from -name elided-
>>>
>>>VIRUS WARNING !!!!!!
>>>If you receive an email titled "JOIN THE CREW" DO NOT open it.
>>>It will erase everything on your hard drive. Forward this letter out
>>>to as many people as you can. This is a new, very malicious virus and
>>>not many people know about it. This information was announced
>>>yesterday morning from IBM; please share it with everyone that might
>>>access
>>>the internet. Once again, pass this along to EVERYONE in your
>>>address book so that this may be stopped. Also, do not open or even
>>>look at any mail that says "RETURNED OR UNABLE TO DELIVERY" This virus
>>>will attach itself to your computer components and render them
>>>useless. Immediately delete any mail items that say this. AOL has said
>>>that this is a very dangerous virus and that there is NO remedy for it
>>>at this time. Please practice cautionary measures and forward this to
>>>all your online friends ASAP.
>>>Kind regards
>>>-name elided-
>>>Manager, WW Marketing, Large Systems Storage
>>>Storage Systems Division
>>>5600 Cottle Road, San Jose, CA 95193 USA; dept. P22/010 office 426
>>>
>>>http://www.inciid.org/bb1/message1/30858.htm
>>>
>>>
>>>Larry Babino
>>>Account Manager
>>>NAMA North Central
>>>Ph : 800.815.6712   x2259
>>>Fax : 509.744.8346
>>>
>>>Welcome to Our Website !!!!!
>>>& http://www.softwarespectrum.com
>>