VIRUSES

[Ken Anderson]

G'day All,



After a few 'laced' emails from this Forum, and a bit of research, it would seem that a nasty virus (swen?) has been propogating via this Forum.

To the best of my knowledge, it hasn't propogated via/past my email client, as I'm sure I've trapped each occurence and killed it (with delight). However, anything is possible with these resourceful and vandalistic *******s .

This problem seems to currently be centred on Australia.

Don't trust any email that appears to be from "Microsoft". Please refer to http://www.trendmedia.com for a free up-to-date scan of your system. No, this is not and ad - just good advice.

It would be really good if everyone got up-to-date virus protection. Please take appropriate precautions It's worth spending a 'few quid'. I, for one, don't appreciate receiving viruses. Dick Smith (Australia) has PC-cillan (or howver it's spelled) for a very reasonable price at the moment. It's a good investment.




Ken Anderson,
Brisbane.

[Roger Halstead]

On Thu, 01 Jan 2004 11:38:17 GMT, "Ken Anderson"
> wrote:

>G'day All,
>
>
>
>After a few 'laced' emails from this Forum, and a bit of research, it would seem that a nasty virus (swen?) has been propogating via this Forum.

It's not just this forum.

>
>To the best of my knowledge, it hasn't propogated via/past my email client, as I'm sure I've trapped each occurence and killed it (with delight). However, anything is possible with these resourceful and vandalistic *******s .
>
>This problem seems to currently be centred on Australia.
>
>Don't trust any email that appears to be from "Microsoft". Please refer to http://www.trendmedia.com for a free up-to-date scan of your system. No, this is not and ad - just good advice.

Microsoft does not send out e-mails with updates. They depend on the
user either manually going to the site to update, or using auto
update.

Nor do I trust any third party scanning unless I know the third party.

>
>It would be really good if everyone got up-to-date virus protection. Please take appropriate precautions It's worth spending a 'few quid'. I, for one, don't appreciate receiving viruses. Dick Smith (Australia) has PC-cillan (or howver it's spelled) for a very reasonable price at the moment. It's a good investment.
>

The problem is there are so many sites and e-mails that appear to be
genuine with spoofed addresses and redirection with web sites, I'd not
run anything on my computer to check except a good virus checker I
know and by going directly to the Microsoft site. Never from a link to
an MS site.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com
>
>
>
>Ken Anderson,
>Brisbane.
>
>

[The Raven]

>"Ken Anderson" > wrote in message
...
>G'day All,
>
>After a few 'laced' emails from this Forum, and a bit of research, it would
seem that a nasty virus (swen?) has been >propogating via this Forum.

Hi Ken,
The Swen virus is not "from" this forum per-se, it's coming
from someones infected computer. The Swen virus searches out all email
addresses on an infected computer, which means it will pick up every address
for every post it can find in whatever newsreader the user has. So, it's
effectively pulling our names out of someones newsreader.

>To the best of my knowledge, it hasn't propogated via/past my email client,

You would have to receive it and then open the attached executable. If you
had done that you'd be seeing system errors and popup registration forms all
the time.

> as I'm sure I've trapped each occurence >and killed it (with delight).
However, anything is possible with these resourceful and vandalistic
*******s .
>
>This problem seems to currently be centred on Australia.

Actually it's worldwide you're probably seeing the result of some infected
friends or acquantainces which has your email address stored on your
computer.

>Don't trust any email that appears to be from "Microsoft". Please refer to
http://www.trendmedia.com for a free up->to-date scan of your system. No,
this is not and ad - just good advice.

I don't know trend media but I'd put more faith in a name brand frequently
updated antivirus program, not to mention a good dose of suspicion and
common sense with regards strange emails.

>It would be really good if everyone got up-to-date virus protection.

Agreed. There should be a law against people using the internet if they
don't have a firewall or anti-virus protection active. Good anti-spyware
apps are also a good thing.

> Please take appropriate precautions It's worth spending a 'few quid'. I,
for one, don't appreciate receiving viruses.

Get used to it with this one, I've probably had several thousands of these
emails by now. It's regular practice for me to log onto my mail server via a
browser to kill off this stuff before downloading the real emails with my
mail app.

>Dick Smith (Australia) has PC-cillan (or howver it's spelled) for a very
reasonable price at the moment. It's a good >investment.

I'd recommend Sophos antivirus or any of the other name brand stuff BUT it's
only effective if you keep it up to date.


--
The Raven
http://www.80scartoons.co.uk/batfinkquote.mp3
** President of the ozemail.* and uunet.* NG's
** since August 15th 2000.

[keith]

Hi All,

As a matter of interest, one of the best virus protection programmes to date
is AVG 6.0 which is free to non commercial users and is updated very
frequently. www.grisoft.com or search for avg in www.tucows.com will reduce
the risk of receiving or indeed inadvertantly passing on a virus.

I used to work as a volunteer at Cosford Museum for 7 years. but since
moving north have dropped out of the restoration/preservation movement.
Working as an historian researcher (aviation).

all the best with the group.

Keith
Air Historic Research UK
"The Raven" > wrote in message
...
> >"Ken Anderson" > wrote in message
> ...
> >G'day All,
> >
> >After a few 'laced' emails from this Forum, and a bit of research, it
would
> seem that a nasty virus (swen?) has been >propogating via this Forum.
>
> Hi Ken,
> The Swen virus is not "from" this forum per-se, it's coming
> from someones infected computer. The Swen virus searches out all email
> addresses on an infected computer, which means it will pick up every
address
> for every post it can find in whatever newsreader the user has. So, it's
> effectively pulling our names out of someones newsreader.
>
> >To the best of my knowledge, it hasn't propogated via/past my email
client,
>
> You would have to receive it and then open the attached executable. If you
> had done that you'd be seeing system errors and popup registration forms
all
> the time.
>
> > as I'm sure I've trapped each occurence >and killed it (with delight).
> However, anything is possible with these resourceful and vandalistic
> *******s .
> >
> >This problem seems to currently be centred on Australia.
>
> Actually it's worldwide you're probably seeing the result of some infected
> friends or acquantainces which has your email address stored on your
> computer.
>
> >Don't trust any email that appears to be from "Microsoft". Please refer
to
> http://www.trendmedia.com for a free up->to-date scan of your system. No,
> this is not and ad - just good advice.
>
> I don't know trend media but I'd put more faith in a name brand frequently
> updated antivirus program, not to mention a good dose of suspicion and
> common sense with regards strange emails.
>
> >It would be really good if everyone got up-to-date virus protection.
>
> Agreed. There should be a law against people using the internet if they
> don't have a firewall or anti-virus protection active. Good anti-spyware
> apps are also a good thing.
>
> > Please take appropriate precautions It's worth spending a 'few quid'. I,
> for one, don't appreciate receiving viruses.
>
> Get used to it with this one, I've probably had several thousands of these
> emails by now. It's regular practice for me to log onto my mail server via
a
> browser to kill off this stuff before downloading the real emails with my
> mail app.
>
> >Dick Smith (Australia) has PC-cillan (or howver it's spelled) for a very
> reasonable price at the moment. It's a good >investment.
>
> I'd recommend Sophos antivirus or any of the other name brand stuff BUT
it's
> only effective if you keep it up to date.
>
>
> --
> The Raven
> http://www.80scartoons.co.uk/batfinkquote.mp3
> ** President of the ozemail.* and uunet.* NG's
> ** since August 15th 2000.
>
>
>