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  • Computer Virus Plague Hits Home

        What to know; what to do.

  • Top Email Viruses On-The-Prowl

        The Current Statistics ...  

    

Computer Virus Plague Hits Home

   What to know, what to do.

  

    In recent weeks, I have received many phone calls requesting help for locked computers, slow computers and non-booting computers. In all cases of recent memory, they have been virus related problems.

    The good news is, all have been repaired with little loss of life (computer data and hardware). I've seen Klez virus in great number. Also out there are Badtrans virus, Backdoor and many others. What can you do?

The truth of the matter is, you cannot get a virus or any system damaging software by reading the text portion of an e-mail. E-mails (that is, the actual message) cannot contain viruses. This is why:

  • A virus cannot exist in an e-mail text message. Viruses must be attached to and infect an executable program (.exe, .com). Viruses and other system-destroying bugs can ONLY exist in EXECUTABLE FILES, and since e-mail is not a system file in that sense, viruses cannot exist there. While reading e-mail, you are not executing any malicious code to activate! Thus, no virus can exist in text. HOWEVER, if you (or your computer) download a FILE attached to an e-mail (i.e.-binary) and RUN it, there IS a chance that file could contain a virus. It is also very important that you DO NOT allow your e-mail program to automatically execute attached files. You risk infection by doing so!

  • Viruses are normally brought into your computer as an email attachment. Viruses are usually “launched” or “activated” when you “run” or “open” the attachment. You can stop over 90% of all current viruses by simply not opening them. Here are some simple rules to follow:

a)       Never open an attachment with a filename ending in .exe or .com or .bat or .pif or .reg. Ask yourself this question: “Was I expecting this particular file?” If the answer is no, call the sender or delete the email.

b)       Microsoft Word documents can contain macros that launch viruses. Be sure you are expecting a document before opening it.

c)       When you forward an email, it is a common courtesy to cut-and-paste the contents into a new email. This way the recipient is not faced with attachments and the possibility of launching new viruses.

  

   See the "Steps Towards Detection" in the next column.  

   

Top Email Viruses on the Prowl

   The Current Statistics...

  

 Virus Top 20

    The latest monthly installment of the Virus Top 20 is here. By Viruslist.com

To find out more details about each virus, simply click on the links below.

 

Position

Name

Percentage by occurrence

1

I-Worm.Netsky.b

52.78%

2

I-Worm.Mydoom.a

12.45%

3

I-Worm.Netsky.d

8.98%

4

I-Worm.Mydoom.e

5.45%

5

I-Worm.Netsky.q

2.90%

6

I-Worm.Swen

2.37%

7

PSW-Worm

2.31%

8

I-Worm.Mydoom.g

2.30%

9

I-Worm.Netsky.c

1.65%

10

I-Worm.Bagle.i

0.75%

11

I-Worm.Bagle.s

0.47%

12

I-Worm.Bagle.j

0.45%

13

I-Worm.Klez.h

0.40%

14

I-Worm.Bagle.e

0.35%

15

I-Worm.Bagle.g

0.35%

16

I-Worm.Mimail.q

0.33%

17

I-Worm.Lentin.v

0.32%

18

I-Worm.Mimail.a

0.31%

19

I-Worm.Mimail.c

0.27%

20

I-Worm.Bagle.c

0.25%

other malicious programs*

4.56%

 

 

Steps Towards Detection and  Prevention:

  • Educate yourself about viruses and how they are commonly spread. You can unwittingly bring viruses into the network by loading a program from a source such as the Internet or e-mail attachments.

  • Learn the common signs of viruses: unusual messages that appear on your screen, decreased system performance, missing data, and inability to access your hard drive. If you notice any of these problems with your computer, run your virus -detection software immediately to minimize the chances of losing data.

  • Programs on floppy disks may also contain viruses. Scan all floppy disks before copying or opening files on them, or booting from them.

  • Have at least one commercial virus-detection program and use it regularly to check your computers for viruses. Be sure to obtain the latest virus signature files for your program when they are available, because new viruses are created every day.

  

     Happy Computing,

  

   Greg Schipper

  

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