UKNM: The final word from the horse's mouth [Fwd: FW: Virus Warning]

[Duncan Macmillan]

[Moderator's Note: This was forwarded by Duncan, from Ray Bellis]


From: Ray Bellis <

rpbcommunity [dot] net [dot] uk

>

Reply-To: Ray Bellis <

rpbcommunity [dot] net [dot] uk

>

To: Jan Mckenty <

janiconsoft [dot] co [dot] uk

>

Subject: Re: FW: Virus Warning


On Thu, 19 Mar 1998, Jan Mckenty wrote:


> You might like to forward this to your people.


Please *ignore* any such 'warning' messages of this nature, they are

hoaxes :-(


The only way for an e-mail message to infect your system is if you

actually open an included attachment after receiving it.  Simply opening

the body of the message inside your mail program is *not* sufficient to

trigger any virus contained inside an attachment. 


A '.exe' attachment might contain a traditional virus and a '.doc' file

might contain a 'macro-virus'.  If your system does try to automatically

display '.doc' attachments then it might be prudent to disable that

facility, but in any case the standard recommendation would be to install


good anti-virus software on your PC in order to protect against infection

whatever the source. 


NB:  Technically, a program which immediately deletes your hard drive is

actually a 'trojan horse' and not a 'virus', since if it destroys your

system it can't possibly spread.


Of course it could be argued that the current 'warnings' are themselves

viral in nature, since they appear to be more virulent in the way they

spread from one person to the next than any known 'real' virus. 


Ray.


--

Ray Bellis, MA(Oxon) - Technical Manager - Oxford CommUnity Internet plc

Windsor House, 12 High Street, Kidlington, OXFORD OX5 2PJ   UK

      Telephone: +44-1865-856000  Fax: +44-1865-856001

Email:

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