you're right but what has been going around lately I think is actually a
worm (which is annoying but not as destructive). Don't you hate this techie
talk.
Worm tops list of Internet's bugs
By Tim Lemke
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Security professionals yesterday were keeping an eye on another
computer worm capable of spreading rapidly by e-mail.
Known as BadTrans.B, the worm has infected several thousand computers
each day since its appearance Friday. It is seen as a nuisance because it
reproduces by sending itself as a reply to any unread e-mail messages. But
unlike some other worms and viruses, it is not known to delete files or
cause computers to crash.
The virus also installs a program that records the typing of a person
using an infected PC and sends that information to the virus writer's e-mail
address. It is considered a worm, not a virus, because no human involvement
is necessary for it to spread.
"This thing has definitely blazed a trail through the end-user
community," said April Goosetree, virus research manager for the computer
security company
McAfee.com. "This is the classic e-mail worm in that it
uses e-mail to propagate."
BadTrans.B is a variation on the mild BadTrans virus that first
appeared in April. It is already as widespread as its predecessor.
Observers of the worm said business networks remain relatively
unaffected, because corporations have been diligent about updating
anti-virus programs and downloading software patches.
BadTrans.B enters into a computer using a vulnerability in Microsoft's
Internet Explorer versions 5.01 and 5.5. They are the same vulnerabilities
used by the fast-spreading "Nimda" worm that appeared in September. Security
professionals believe the severity of Nimda - nearly 70 percent of all North
American companies were affected - brought attention to the issue of
protecting corporate networks. Millions of the proper security patches have
been downloaded from Microsoft's Web site.
But individual users and those operating smaller business networks have
not been as diligent, observers said.
"Most of the infections are coming from small businesses or end-users,"
said Vincent Weafer, director of the Anti-Virus Research Center of Symantec
Corp., a Cupertino, Calif., Internet security firm.
Messagelabs, Inc., a British firm specializing in e-mail security, said
about 60 percent of the computers affected by BadTrans.B were home users,
with 37 percent of the complaints coming from businesses. About 90 percent
of all those computers affected on Saturday and Sunday alone were
nonbusiness systems.
While security professionals breathed a sigh of relief that business
networks remained relatively impervious to the worm, they noted that it was
still very widespread. Messagelabs reported that it stopped copies of the
worm coming from over 100 countries and now rates BadTrans.B worm as the
"top bug" on the Internet, replacing the SirCam virus that occupied the top
spot for over four months. It is by far the most widespread of the 10 new
viruses and worms reported to Messagelabs in December.
Security professionals said it is easy for computer users to protect
themselves against BadTrans.B.
"Make sure you've got the security patches ... and update your virus
protection software and you'll be fine," Mr. Weafer said.
-----Original Message-----
From: Bette [mailto:nobia@centurytel.net]
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2001 2:08 PM
To: CARR-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [CARR] Re: Virus
I thought you had to open an attachment to get a virus??? Am I wrong.
==== CARR Mailing List ====
CARR Surname Research Center
http://members.tripod/CARR_SRC/
-----Original Message-----
From: Bette [mailto:nobia@centurytel.net]
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2001 2:08 PM
To: CARR-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [CARR] Re: Virus
I thought you had to open an attachment to get a virus??? Am I wrong.
==== CARR Mailing List ====
CARR Surname Research Center
http://members.tripod/CARR_SRC/