NOT! (was Re: Information about a new virus)

[Avery Todd]

List,

   Please read the letter below and forward IT to anyone who sends you
an e-mail virus warning instead of sending the warning on to other people.

Avery

> I have just received a Virus Warning. If you receive an
>>> e-mail
>>> >>>     entitled "WIN A HOLIDAY" DO NOT OPEN IT!!!!!!! It will erase
>>> >>>     everything on your Hard Drive (c:). Please forward this letter

SNIPPED "AD NAUSEUM" REMAINDER


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.  :)

___________________________
Avery Todd, RPT
Moores School of Music
University of Houston
Houston, TX 77204-4893
713-743-3226
atodd@uh.edu
http://www.uh.edu/music/

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