I just got this in my email and thought I'd pass it along to you and see what you thought. I'm not saying to DO it, but do you think it may work? I'd love some thoughts from some of you computer gurus that know your stuff.
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I learned a computer trick today that's really ingenious in its simplicity. As you may know, when/if a worm virus gets into your computer it heads straight for your email address book and sends itself to everyone in there, thus infecting all your friends and associates.
This trick won't keep the virus from getting into your computer, but it will stop it from using your address book to spread further, and it will alert you to the fact that the worm has gotten into your system.
Here's what you do: First, open your address book and click on "new contact" or "new person" just as you would do if you were adding a new friend to your list of email addresses. In the window where you would type your friend's FIRST name, type in !000 (that's an exclamation mark followed by 3 zeros). In the window below where it prompts you to enter the new email address, type in WormAlert@xxx.net. Then complete everything by clicking add, enter, OK, etc.
Now, here's what you've done and why it works: the "name" !000 will be placed at the top of your address book as entry #1. This will be where the worm will start in an effort to send itself to all your friends. But when it tries to send itself to !000, it will be undeliverable because of the phony email address you entered (Worm Alert). If the first attempt fails (which it will because of the phony address), the worm goes no further and your friends will not be infected.
Here's the second great advantage of this method: if an email cannot be delivered, you will be notified of this in your In Box almost immediately. Hence, if you ever get an email telling you that an email addressed to Worm Alert could not be delivered, you know right away that you have the worm virus in your system. You can then take steps to get rid of it!
Pretty slick huh? If everybody you know does this then you needn't ever worry about opening mail from friends. Pass this on to all your friends.
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Your thoughts? And if you do decide to try it, would you please update your findings here? Thanks!
[ February 23, 2002, 01:43 AM: Message edited by: Donna in BC ]
posted
I have heard of this method before and this very likely is how my sister-in-law lost her hard drive. As I understand it, this only alerts you and does not keep the worm from emailing the balance of your address book. I subscribe to McAfee and have it on all my computers. It is relatively inexpensive per year, 19.95 and I update every few days. It now even sniffs compressed files and all incoming e-mails as well as files and file attachments. We get a lot of art files from customers and have found many with virus's that they did not know about. Worth every penny of cost and not worth the risk of trying to use cheap substitute methods.
-------------------- Kent Smith Smith Sign Studio P.O.Box 2385, Estes Park, CO 80517-2385 kent@smithsignstudio.com Posts: 1025 | From: Estes Park, CO | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
best thing to do is empty your email address book, manually move all addys to a new directory say emaddy, or some name you think up, this way the virus will go to m/s email address book and it will be empty so it cant send itself. but you got all your email address in another directory it cant find......
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Any self-respecting worm designer would simply change their program to select addresses from your address book randomly, or some other diabolical method that is not so easily thwarted. They may also take the addresses from your inbox or sent box rather than your address book.
Even the best antivirus program is not 100% effective. I was hit with a virus only six hours after updating my definitions because the virus was so new the anti-virus hadn't been written yet. It was available within a few hours, but I'd been bitten in the meantime.
There is no way to offer yourself full protection, and you must be on full alert and suspicious of ALL email messages regardless of what antivirus programs or other precautions you have.
posted
Just so you know... I already HAVE an antivirus program plus Eremove. I was just wondering if this was a legitimate method. Kind of like double insurance.
Adrienne, been busy potty training, that's where I've been!
posted
I must be old fashioned,as I DO NOT keep an address book on my computer! They are written down in hard copy for me to "refer"to IF.....I have an over whelming disire to contact someone about something. I DO NOT "forward" e-mail sent to me. As I consider it GOSSIP! I only "share" when asked The rest is merely un-wanted SPAM
Never had a promblem yet Hope this helps
-------------------- PKing is Pat King The Professor of SIGNOLOGY Posts: 3113 | From: Pompano Beach, FL. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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I got a worm the day after installing a new computer complete with updated Norton:(
The badtrans Virus was indentified immediately BUT because I had not yet installed the patch on Outlook Express it downloaded itself when I right clicked to quarantine it
It then promptly send it self to my ISP who's addy it found on my hd. Then proceeded to pick up e-mail addresses from the only message I had on my "In Folder" .... namely a message from Letterville re the monthly Member's Draw!
Unfortunately it managed to pass on to several of the "Supressed" addys on that mailing list before I realised what was happening and shut down the Internet Connection. A good indication something is happening like that is the massive increase in the outgoing byes on your connection.
Now ... I do not even keep Adresses or ANY "IN" or "OUT" files on this computer but prefer to print a hard copy and delete!
I have my own email address in my address book so if I get a worm, I know it cause it will send me an email.
I disable the preview pane in Outlook Express AND disable the automatic opening of emails feature.
This way the buggers dont even get a chance to run and infect my system.
If I see a suspicious email, I just right click on it and select "Properties" then click "Message Source" and that lets you read the contents of the message and see any file attachments without actually opening the email. I've gotten a few emails with BadTrans attached this past week and they were all stopped because I dont open every stinkin email that comes my way.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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posted
For users of Outlook Express and other non-AOL or web-based email programs, you can use VCatch (www.vcatch.com) to your PC for free. It works alone as an AV program or as a 'second chance' catcher should your first AV program miss it. It is free, as are the updates.
One thing about AV programs in general - the better they are, the slower your machine will run. Kaspersky's AVP has been king of the hill for the last several years, but it can make a 1ghz PC run like a 450mhz machine if you set it for max-security.
Generally, the only real threat is email, with a smaller threat being 'risky' websites (porn, warez, hacker, etc.) and any removable media brought from another machine (i.e. - floppies, zips etc. from customers). If you're connected to the net full time via DSL, cable or T, you're at somewhat more of a risk unless you're running a firewall of some sort, but this is a minor risk for most everyone.
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