Matrix Games Forums

VIRUS ALERT

A new worm, W32.Goner.A@mm, has made Norton's Category 4 List. (For
additional information, see
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.goner.a@mm.html)

Comes in email as a screensaver that you simply 'must try'

Beware

I always have to wonder about anyone who would open an .exe or similar file that you get in an email and "simply must open". No matter who it comes from, virus scanners are an essential thing. Especially if you are low in the common sense department. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

Hmmmm.....BBC reports that the virus can supposedly disable anti-virus software. I would have to assume that this is after you execute the file. Replication through the usual use of the address book in Outlook (which makes you wonder why people keep their contacts there since it is obviously so insecure). Lovely piece of work. Personally viruses rarely worry me since most things I do I do in Linux (one more reason to trust the penguin, far less virus worries). Personally I hope that they find the fellow that released this one and give him a bill for the disruption it caused like they did to the guy who created the Melissa virus. Just because you can make something does not mean you should use it. True in viruses and in weapons.

Modern warfare uses these now so great criminals for purposes of shuting down infrastructure like power stations and phones remotely by using these virus type programs and hacking.

I don't aprove any kind of virus making nor hacking.

And yes there are those with no common sense amongst us <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0"> Opening questionable mails attachments is plain stupid.

[ December 06, 2001: Message edited by: GI Seve ]</p>

I read about some software and (circuit boards to be run by the software) sold by a firm in the USA to a civil authority in, IIRC, Poland. It was electronics to keep stoplights in intersections working nicely.

There was code in there designed specifically, not by accident, and PUT there by the manufacturer, which would serverely fuck up the traffic control of any city in Poland using said electronics.

Which, I guess, is fine if Poland declares war on the USA or it's allies, I guess that is why the code was injected. However, there was some risk a malicious person would stumble onto the code and activate it for fun.

I read too, since the cold war has "ended" much of this stuff has been repaired, which is okay. I wonder how much hasn't been repaired for various, some legitimate, reasons?

I wonder if I have a "kill his HDD, feed nulls into his BIOS and make his oil furnace unworkable" code somewhere in this box, one written on the orders of (name a government security agency with a mandate to do this sort of thing, right or wrong).

I suppose it is possible to bust a machine after even being the PERFECT admin.....

It's enough to make a guy switch over to a slide rule, paper, pens, pencils, stamps and library books. My mom still won't have a computer in her house and the more I hear, the less I discount her raving.

This should be obvious but for the people who like to live on the edge....Even if your antivirus signitures are up to date don't think your immune, if you open the infected attachment and your virus software informs you that the file is infected it may be too late to protect your computer and the worm passes thru. This happened to me on two occations, using Norton 2001 with updated signiture's the sam day!! It cost me $70.00 and several hours on the phone to get my computer back up!

To quote Voltaire, 'Common sense is not very common.'. <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0">

you don't have to click on exe's or whatever for all viruses either.
badtrans got me and i didn't even open the email.
Thought to myself - that email title looks suspicious (RE: it was also from someone i obviuosly know by nickname as i did not know the name), so iclicked on it so i could delete it and something flashed up (i later saw that this was a download/save file window). Then zonealarm starts flashing a program i had not heard of.
So remember you do not have to be stupid enough to double click something.
cost me $aus 90 to get of the thing (price of virus checker in local country town shop).

This site is French but the tools should work with any windows... i hope <img src="wink.gif" border="0">


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