Microsoft sends out a virus!!

[wellard]

We received an email from Microsoft the other day with instructions on how to download a security update # Q982616. This update was to protect you against the recent blaster style virus. It also contained an attachment that had a worm style virus inside. [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] Norton!

The message as it transpired was not actually from Microsoft but someone using a very, very convincing copy of there website and style. I even followed the hyperlinks to the real Microsoft site! [img]graemlins/wow.gif[/img] so a warning for anybody out there.

Did anybody here get this virus?

If you do get this "Microsoft" message in your inbox, do not open the attachment, and do not click on the *update* button, just kill it

[ 09-23-2003, 07:03 AM: Message edited by: wellard ]

[Link]

Thanks for the warning Wellard! [img]smile.gif[/img] I get so much junk in my mailbox these days, that I need to clean it out on daily basis

[johnny]

I had another virus this weekend, maybe it was the one you're talking about.

[Luvian]

You should never download anything from microsoft from an email, use your browser to go to the web site instead, it's a lot safer, as emails can easily be faked.

I still don't understand why so much people are complaining about receiving spam, I'm not receiving any and I have 4 email accounts. Well... I'm not complaining. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Larry_OHF]

I have the autoupdate ability turned on my machine, and a little icon comes on in teh tray bar. If I do ont see one at least once a week, I go and visit the MS updates section. I had already been told by a news group (cannot remember which) to not open the e-mail as it was already known that a virus was circulating that way at least a week ago.


By the way, a good way to protect your machine from unwanted solicitation is to have an e-mail account that is used only for registering for items, or signing up for stuff. A default e-mail that you tell strangers about. The only people that have my real e-mail address are the ones that I actually know personally.

[ 09-23-2003, 07:51 AM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Cloudbringer]

It's definitely not a good idea to take any of the emails that say they are from a major company (that you'd ordinarily trust) at face value and use the links in them! Like everyone said, go to the site yourself if you want to be sure it's ok.

Wellard, good thing you didn't end up with that virus!

[Thoran]

All microsoft updates come through their update utility... you will never recieve a valid email from microsoft urging you to update your computer. My corporation has been a major target of this stuff lately, and my virus filter has caught at least a dozen of those sorts of viruses in the last couple weeks... and there was one that didn't get caught.

A safe option, and one that I personally employ, is to NEVER under ANY circumstances open ANY email attachments without verbal verification from the sender... EVER. I've got a form letter I send back that tells the user to either embed the text directly (in the case of those .eml files some people like to send), or don't bother sending it to me.

[skywalker]

I was away at Alexandria Bay visting Boldt Castle and other stuff and when I got back I had 103 emails. About 3 of them were useful, 75 were [img]graemlins/spam2.gif[/img] , and 25 were emails containing viruses (half of them from a faux Microsoft type location). I've not seen so many viruses flying in via email before. I really wish it would stop.

Mark

[AzRaeL StoRmBlaDe]

I never open anything unless it is from one of like 3 people, and not a forward.

[Jedimaster]

I have gotten at least a dozen of these since the SVEN Virus came out. I always check it out with MAILWASHER (http://www.mailwasher.net) to see where it came from then add it to my blacklist.

[ 09-23-2003, 07:08 PM: Message edited by: Jedimaster ]