Virus/Hoax Information

Virus Hoaxes – How to Tell Fact From Fiction

In the Zone we deal daily with virus hoaxes, but is there a way you the user can tell if an e-mail virus warning is a hoax?

Have you ever received an e-mail message that says something like this?

“Please forward this to everyone you know!!  There is a new virus called _____________!  It will wipe out your hard drive, etc.”

 or,

“Forward this message to everyone you know and you will get a FREE car, gift certificate, $1,000, t-shirt, etc.”

These types of messages are ALMOST ALWAYS a hoax.  In fact, you can almost think of the message itself as being a virus for the following reasons:

1. It is malicious, created with the intent of distribution.
2. It poses as a legitimate virus warning.
3. It spreads itself when innocent users actually DO forward it to everyone they know!

Occasionally, there IS a legitimate virus, and this poses yet another problem.  How do you know if the e-mail message you received is in fact a legitimate virus warning or a hoax?  Typically the Business Services Computing Zone does not announce viruses/hoaxes due to the number received daily.  Fortunately, there are several web sites whose primary function is to inform users of Internet hoaxes that arrive in e-mail.  You may find the following site helpful:

• http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html

So how can you ensure that you are not opening a message that may contain a virus or forwarding a hoax?  

• When you receive e-mail messages from an unexpected source with attachments, do not open the attachments.  You can do yourself and the University a great service by DELETING these messages immediately from both your inbox and your deleted items folder.
  

• When you receive an e-mail message asking you to forward it to everyone you know, do not open the e-mail and do not forward it to anyone.  DELETE these messages immediately from both your inbox and your deleted items folder.

We here in the Business Services Computing Zone maintain an up-to-date, reliable anti-virus package.  You have probably noticed the Network Virus Scan when you are logging into your workstation.  It has proven to be a reliable tool for anti-virus protection, and any well-known viruses will be caught and most likely rendered inert by this software.

So, remember when someone e-mails you instructions to forward some message to everyone you know… DELETE it, no matter what the reason.  No one has ever gotten anything free from forwarding e-mails and if there is a legitimate virus concern, we are ready!