Virus writers trade insults as e-mail users suffer Some 20 variants spreading ....

MSNBC ^ | Updated: 3:31 p.m. ET March 03, 2004 | Bob Sullivan - Technology correspondent

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Hacks, Viruses, Scams & Spam

Virus writers trade insults as e-mail users suffer

Some 20 variants spreading across Net at furious rate

By Bob Sullivan

Technology correspondent

MSNBC

Updated: 3:31 p.m. ET March  03, 2004

With 20 variations of the Mydoom, Netsky and Bagle viruses circulating around the Internet, it's becoming clear that computer virus writers are engaged in some kind of can-you-top-this game. And it's Internet users who are suffering collateral damage. 

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E-mail inboxes around the world are teeming with cryptic notes that have simple messages like "Here is the file," or "I want a reply." When antivirus companies give names to malicious programs, they add letters to virus names as a way of indicating variants, with NetSky.A being the initial version, NetSky.B the second variation, NetSky.C the third, etc. On Wednesday, researchers were up to NetSky.F, Bagle.K, and Mydoom.H.

Internet gang warfare?

<<<<<< See the link >>>>>>>>>>>

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I have been wondering why I was getting updates every day from several sources including MS.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

ndx

[BJClinton]

For those that use Norton, Symantec released a new patch yesterday.

[bird4four4]

McAfee released a new update today. They've had updates almost everyday this week. MS has been sending out many updates too. Just need to be vigilant.

[Cicero]

My mailbox has been flooded with infected emails this past week. Three or four a day. Netsky and Bagle in particular. Nuisance.

[ExpandNATO]

Never mind yesterday, there was another issued today.

[backhoe]

---

Alternative browsers:
http://www.mozilla.org/
http://www.opera.com/

Free anti-viral protection:
http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php

Popup ad killers:
http://www.bayden.com/popper/

Close that friggin' Messenger in Windows XP:
http://grc.com/stm/ShootTheMessenger.htm

Spyware removers:
http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?lang=en&page=download
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html

Good for pre-screening & bouncing SPAM:
http://mailwasher.net/

Script Defender ( stop that nonsense from running unwelcome scripts ):
http://www.analogx.com/welcome.htm
_________________

[oceanview]

has MSFT issued any Outlook patches yet?

[pianomikey]

*ctrl+D* Thanks for the post, backhoe, I'll be using it.

[backhoe]

Thanks for looking- Martin Fierro originated that list & I added a little to it- it's good stuff.

[HairOfTheDog]

What do you want? A patch for Outlook that stops it from sending mail? Not good for a email program. It isn't Outlook that breaks. Outlook is responding to virus scripts and programs that users ~RUN~.

[oceanview]

some of these viruses are hidden in ZIP file attachments. what's broken, Outlook or WINZIP?

[HairOfTheDog]

Neither are broken. If the user runs a program, what would you like a computer to do? (Hint: You want it to run the program) Email viruses are user-activated programs.

Winzip did what it was supposed to do, it shrank the program down in size. But you still had to activate it.

[-YYZ-]

I noticed that, too. Putting the executable in a .zip attachment would seem to make it even less likely to get executed, but then again judging by the volume of the crap, apparently a lot of people are dumb enough to open the zip file in the attachment and then run the zipped executable.

These email "viruses" are a pain, but they're also quite "dumb" in that they require the user to run the executable. By now, anyone dumb enough to open an attachment they know nothing about deserves pretty much whatever they get.

[VOA]

I've been getting hit with a few of these nastys this week.
Fortunately, vigilance with the anti-viral software has kept me out of trouble.

Although I'm not sanctioning violence...someday, when one of these virus
writers is taken out by some vigilante justice...there won't be all that
many tears.
Personally, I'd prefer they are just tortured.
As in being kept in a room without access to a computer or any other electrical device
for at least 20-40 years.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

No compassion at all! LOL!

[BJClinton]

Ah, I thought the one I downloaded today was from yesterday.

[BJClinton]

One of my favorite sites for Windows vulnerabilities:

Gibson Research

[backhoe]

Appreciate the link.

[Theo]

I agree.

A month or two ago, I received over 1,000 copies of that virus. That is "one thousand." I own a couple of domain names, and the spammer/virus jerk used one of them as a "sent from" email address. So I received tons of "bounced back" emails.

I use a Mac, and so I won't get that virus, and I use spam filters, so most go into a separate mailbox. But it's still a huge hassle. I've saved most of them, in case they catch the guy. I'm planning on filing a lawsuit against him for misrepresentation, etc. Seriously.