Lots of Viruses going around today

admin

We have received a very large number of email viruses today. This leads us to believe that a large number of people out there are infected.The virus du jour appears to be the W32.badtrans virus. Symantec has some info here: http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.badtrans.b@mm.html If you have not already done so, run (don't walk) to your nearest computer store or online retailer and buy or download a virus scanning and removing program. We have had good luck with Symantec's Internet Security program which you can buy online here: http://www.symantec.com/sabu/nis/nis_pe/ There are plenty of other anti-virus tools available; search the web and you will find dozens of choices to fit all budgets.Many people get infected because they do not have the latest patches and updates for Windows, IE, or Outlook. You can download the latest Microsoft patches and fixes from the Windows Update site: http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ We recommend that you check the Windows Update site from time to time and make sure that you always install the 'critical' updates onto your system.Thanks for your time!

Goathead

Admin is Right on with this advice. I have seen no less than 25 copies of this in the Past three days. If I may add. If you are not using a Firewall of some kind. Get One. I am using Zone alarm. It is a Software based Program hat stops Internet unwanted traffic.

M.Opaliski

Agreed, excellent advice from both parties. The Firewall is a good idea, many are available free on the web ... Zone Alarm is good for DSL and Cable, Tiny Personal Firewall is a good one for dial ups, both are free to download, use Google and find them with ease.

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Support your RKBA ... MatthewNRA Life MemberTalk Radio Junkie opaliski@hotmail.com TheFirearmsEnthusiast

22WRF

Zone Alarm won't help for a virus embedded in your e mail!

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Home of the Blue Angels, P'colaSemper Adveho AbsconditusFree Advice: "Never hold a dustbuster and a cat at the same time."Never miss a good chance to shut up (Will Rogers)

travelor

you can visit here regularly for free: http://housecall.antivirus.com Great virus scan....can fix some, will tell you if it can't. My brother is a systems anylist for a large company, fixes and runs 75 computers in his building....I asked him after reading this post, he recomended this sight, said that it is the only one he relies on for anti virus..and not because its free...

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keep lots of extra uppers for your ar..you can change often enough to keep the thing from over heating...what ever caliber fits the moment..~Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~

M.Opaliski

Without entering a debate on the issue of what Zone Alarm will or will not do, you are correct, if installed after the fact it will do nothing to help with this or any particular virus.That being said, it did in fact catch this virus on incoming email. Supposing it didn't, it's still a good idea to have a firewall.

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Support your RKBA ... MatthewNRA Life MemberTalk Radio Junkie opaliski@hotmail.com TheFirearmsEnthusiast[This message has been edited by M.Opaliski (edited 11-27-2001).]

GreenLantern

Ok, I'm probably going to catch some grief for this but I don't really use anti-virus programs.For one, I use hotmail as my main account so nothing comes directly into my PC. (For the record, I'm anti-MS but their reliability beat my previous free email site)Second, I don't open anything from someone I don't know.Third, if it is from someone I know, does it sound legitmate? My buddy does finance for a truck dealer and I got an email that had an excel spread sheet attached with the name '2000DecemberFinancials.xls'. Alarm bells went off right there and I deleted it. I did indeed contain a virus.Fourth, if I get an attachment emailed to me with an extension I don't recognize, then I don't touch it.Lastly, as I tell my non-technical sister, if you don't hear about it or read about it on CNN, then don't worry about it. She use to be good for fowarding on all those virus hoaxes till I showed here a website to look them up.Now I realize that by my line of work that I have a little more knowledge about computers than a lot of people, but I haven't been bitten yet. Once I have then everybody can say .... 'I told you so!'. :-)

badboybob

If'n ya don't know who it's from an' ya jist delete it 'thout openin' the dang thang you'll be as safe as a babe in arms.

concealedG36

To get the real lowdown on viruses/worms/trojans I always go to the Symantec AntiVirus Research Center first. http://www.sarc.com I HIGHLY recommend running an anti-virus application on your PC. If not, you're asking for trouble. I definitely agree on the preventative tips mentioned above, such as not opening attachments unless you're familiar with the sender. HOWEVER, keep in mind, people who write these buggers know what steps people take to avoid infection - and they work around them. The Nimda worm that recently infected a lot of computers is a good example. This little beauty can replicate itself, without user intervention. I read somewhere that barring human and anti-virus software intervention, this worm could spread to every computer on the Internet (in the world) in 15 minutes.Also, I too recommend using a firewall of some kind. I personally use Tiny Personal Firewall, in conjunction with hardware firewall technology (LinkSys Router) at home. But, the most important thing of all is to keep your virus definitions up-to-date (unless, of course, you choose not to run any A/V software at all). If those definitions are out of date you might as well not use the software at all.Finally, for those of you who are using Windows 95/98/ME, you should consider upgrading to a more secure operating system (especially if you are using an "always on" cable Internet access). I'm assuming most of you use Windows, and Windows 2000 isn't too much different than the aforementioned Operating Systems. However, the major difference is in their security. Windows 95/98/ME use the FAT32 file system, among other faults, that render you virtually defenseless against a would-be intruder. At least, if you're running Windows 2000/XP, you can use the NTFS file system which supports file-level security and file encryption.Okay, I'll stop rambling now.

GreenLantern

Are firewalls that benefitial if you're using a typical 56k dial-up modem?

Iconoclast

GreenL: my firewalls have stopped several attempts at penetration and the highest speed I've ever achieved on my rural ISP is 31.2 - the connection speed & type doesn't matter to malware.

mudge

OK.....Now I'm totally confused. This anti-virus is the best. That firewall is the best.Guys, I only know how to punch the keys and hit send. I haven't even figured out how to post a picture yet. I have a dial up system. A 128 meg RAM. a 30 gig hard-drive. There's probably stuff in my CPU I don't even know about. I can't download ALL these things youse guys are talking about. Would someone PLEASE tell me what's the best I can do FREE? After that, what's the best I can do in order of ascending price?Mudge the incompetent, the unqualified, the incapable, the stoopid. (Choose one or more.)

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I can't come to work today. The voices said, STAY HOME AND CLEAN THE GUNS!

M.Opaliski

Mudge, most of what you need is available as a free download from the web, see Tiny Personal Firewall to get a decent dial up Firewall, it installs itself basically, and simply requires you click through the installation.AVG Anti Virus is a free download and does the work for you as well, but I would assume that you at least have some sort of Anti Virus running because most systems come with an Anti Virus program, if that is the case you can go to the website of whatever program that you have and downlaod the latest updates or virus defintions.

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Support your RKBA ... MatthewNRA Life MemberTalk Radio Junkie opaliski@hotmail.com TheFirearmsEnthusiast

travelor

As I noted above...the link I provided is free...you can buy from them if you want, but there is no need, if you stop there often. As mentioned, an anti virus program is useless after a few days, if you don't regularly download the updated patern files for all new viruses as they are discovered.

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keep lots of extra uppers for your ar..you can change often enough to keep the thing from over heating...what ever caliber fits the moment..~Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~

ghotie_thumper

Thanks travelor, just used your site to scan and I got a clean bill of health for my puter. I also added their site to my list of favorites so will be a regular client. The problem I've ran into is the kids and all their emails. They don't seem to get the importance of not opening up all the c-rap forwards from their friends. I've got mcafee but I can't get it to scan Emails for some reason.

Ms. Beast

Looks like Snow White and the seven dwarfs is out again! I just got a email with that title and hit the delete button!!We have Norton AV and it seems to work very good if you keep it up dated.

Orphanedcowboy

I have received this 7 times, and my firewall has denied access to the email every time, I noticed a little something, it comes as a reply to a recently sent email, and it will have an underscore in the beginning.... example: _orphanedcowboy instead of orphanedcowboy I thought I was being hacked at first, it is just a subtle difference, I missed it twice until I received a reply from myself from my work address.... Then I noticed the underscore, went and checked all the other unable to connect emails, and sure enough there it was, the little underscore.....Hope this might help some of you.

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Orphanedcowboy@msn.com

UnclePat

I have Norton's A/V & their Firewall, always keep the definitions up to date, and always keep the firewall settings on highest settings - BAM! something got through and zapped my 80gig HD yesterday. That's the first virus that ever got me in 12 years of computer use. Thank God for data backups!