Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 19:14:42 -0600
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Sender: The Internet TourBus - A virtual tour of cyberspace
Comments: Resent-From: crispen@netsquirrel.com
Comments: Originally-From: Patrick Douglas Crispen
From: Patrick Douglas Crispen
Subject: TOURBUS -- 14 DEC 1999 -- ELF BOWLING/CRISPEN'S SIX ANTIVIRUS
RULES
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\___/ \___/ T h e I n t e r n e t T o u r B u s \___/
TODAY'S TOURBUS STOP(S):
Elf Bowling / Crispen's *SIX* Antivirus Rules
TODAY'S TOURBUS ADDRESS(ES):
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/y2kgame.hoax.html
Howdy, y'all, and greetings from the lovely city of Tuscaloosa,
Alabama. Bob and I swapped writing assignments this week so that I
could tell you about the Elf Bowling virus hoax that is floating
around the Net. :)
TOURBUS is made possible by the kind support of our sponsors. I thank
the folks at "NFO Interactive," "iPrint.com," and "Zing Cards" for
making today's post possible. As always, please visit our wonderful
sponsors and thank them for keeping the bus rolling!
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How do you say ...
Thanks for the 10 lb fruitcake
Happy Holiday to your Uncle Scrooge
Love to visit for the Holidays, but...
Say it with pictures! Send online Photo Greeting Cards.
Click here => http://www.enlist.com/cgi-bin/re/Zingb
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On with the show ...
--------------------
The Elf Bowling Hoax
--------------------
There is a warning floating around the Net right now warning you that
If you have received any of the following games:
Frogapult.exe
Elfbowl.exe (Frog game and elf bowling)
Delete them completely out of your system, as they both have a
delayed virus attached to them that will be activated on
Christmas Day and will wipe out your system, boot sector, master
boot record etc!!!
I have tested these two games on a test machine and Lo and Behold
- KaBoom!!!
If you know of anyone else who has these games, let them know.
The story is yet another in a long string of Internet virus hoaxes.
If you have installed any of these programs, don't worry -- contrary
to what the warning says, these programs do NOT contain viruses.
In fact, here is what the folks at the Symantec AntiVirus Research
Center have to say about this hoax:
Symantec AntiVirus Research Center has received many submissions
of these programs developed by NVISION DESIGN,INC including
Y2KGAME.EXE and has all been confirmed to be free of viruses ...
Please ignore any messages regarding this supposed "virus" and do
not pass on any messages regarding it. Passing on messages about
this hoax serves only to further propagate it.
You can read the full text of Symantec's summary of the Elf Bowling
virus hoax at
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/y2kgame.hoax.html .
Now, for a quick message to the folks who actually installed the Elf
Bowling program on their computer: WHAT THE HECK WERE YOU DOING
DOUBLE-CLICKING ON AN UNKNOWN EXECUTABLE FILE ATTACHED TO AN EMAIL
MESSAGE IN THE FIRST PLACE, SILLY?! The number one way that computers
become infected by viruses -- let me repeat that for effect: the
NUMBER ONE way computers become infected by viruses -- is through
people double-clicking on unknown, executable (.exe) files attached to
emails.
You were lucky this time. THIS TIME. The Elf Bowling program did not
contain a virus. The next executable program you receive attached to
an email message -- pics4you.exe, zipped_files.exe, and so on --
probably WILL contain a virus. And, unless you stop double-clicking
on executable files attached to email messages, I can all but
guarantee you that your computer will eventually become infected with
a virus. :(
You were lucky this time. Your luck can not and will not last forever.
How can you protect yourself from future viruses? Simple. Follow these
six, simple rules:
---------------------------------------------------
Crispen's *SIX* Antivirus Rules -- 13 December 1999
---------------------------------------------------
In light of the recent Bubbleboy and WormExploreZip virus outbreaks, I
decided to re-rewrite my rules on how to protect yourself from
computer viruses, Trojan horses, or worms. Regardless of your
operating system, these six rules should protect you from most of the
over FORTY-SIX THOUSAND viruses that are currently floating around the
Net.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. PURCHASE A GOOD, COMMERCIAL ANTIVIRUS PROGRAM LIKE NORTON ANTIVIRUS
OR MCAFEE VIRUSSCAN.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Most commercial antivirus programs usually cost between US$40
and US$50 and can be purchased at almost any computer store in
the world. [You can usually save about US$10 if you purchase
the software online -- visit http://www.shopper.com/ for more
information].
Antivirus program manufacturers also release minor upgrades
every two to three months and major upgrades every twelve to
eighteen months. YOU NEED THESE UPGRADES. Minor upgrades are
usually free, and major upgrades usually cost anywhere between
US$20 and US$40, depending on the manufacturer [think of this
as an expected expense -- just as you have to change your
car's oil every 3,000 miles, you have to upgrade your
antivirus software every year to year-and-a-half].
To see if any minor or major upgrades are available for your
antivirus program, visit your antivirus program manufacturer's
homepage. A list of antivirus manufacturers' homepages can be
found at http://www.yahoo.com/ or at AOL keyword "virus."
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2. UPDATE YOUR VIRUS DEFINITIONS FREQUENTLY (AT LEAST ONCE A
WEEK).
----------------------------------------------------------------------
With over 250 new viruses being discovered each week, if you
don't update your definitions frequently you won't be
protected from ANY of the new viruses floating around the Net.
How do you update your virus definitions? That depends on
the antivirus program you use. Norton Antivirus has a "Live
Update" button built into the program; click on it, and Norton
automatically downloads and installs the latest virus
definitions from Net. McAfee VirusScan has a similar update
function (go to File --> Update VirusScan).
If you are unsure of how to update your virus definitions,
visit the homepage of your antivirus software manufacturer and
look for their "download," "update," or "technical support"
section.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
3. NEVER DOUBLE-CLICK (OR LAUNCH) *ANY* FILE, ESPECIALLY AN EMAIL
ATTACHMENT, REGARDLESS OF WHO THE FILE IS FROM, UNTIL YOU
FIRST SCAN THAT FILE WITH YOUR ANTIVIRUS PROGRAM.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is probably the most important rule of them all. There
are currently over forty-six thousand viruses out there, there
are over 2.8 trillion possible files names out there, and any
one of those viruses could be hiding in any one of those file
names. A lot of people think that you can protect yourself
from a computer virus by being on the lookout for one
particular virus or one particular file name (hence all of the
virus warnings you have received in your email inbox lately).
That's not only silly, that's dangerous. If you want to
protect your computer from viruses, you need to ignore ALL of
the virus warnings you receive and instead beware of EVERY
file you see, especially every file that is attached to an
email message.
It is important to note that, despite all of the warnings to
the contrary, there is no such thing as an email virus. If
you are running the most up-to-date version of Windows (see
rule #5 below) or if you have a Mac, you can open your emails,
regardless of their subject lines, without fear of infecting
your computer, provided your email program doesn't
automatically open attachments (most don't). It is the files
that are ATTACHED to emails that you have to fear.
Think of a computer virus as a well-packaged letter bomb. You
can move a letter bomb from room to room in your house without
any danger. Open the letter bomb, however, and you die. The
same is true with computer viruses. You could download a
billion virus-infected files from the Internet and receive
another billion virus-infected files attached to email
messages and your computer still wouldn't be infected with a
virus. Open, or double-click on, just ONE of those files,
though, and your computer is dead.
Remember, to infect your computer with a virus, you have to
open (or double-click on) a file that contains a virus. As
long as you don't open that file, you really have nothing to
fear.
How can you scan a file for viruses? It depends on the
antivirus program you use. The best bet is to read your
antivirus program's instructions or read its online help
section. If you use Norton Antivirus or McAfee VirusScan,
right-click (or, if you have a Mac, click and hold) on the
file in question. A pop-up menu should appear, and one of the
choices should be "Scan with ..." and the name of your
antivirus program. If that doesn't work, just open your
antivirus program and try to scan the file from there.
Do you have to scan EVERY file, even if that file is from your
friends or coworkers? Yes! Both the Melissa and the
WormExplore.Zip viruses distributed themselves by opening your
email program, looking at either your 'friends' list or the
list of email addresses in your inbox, and then distributing
virus-infected files to everyone on that list.
In the world of computer viruses, you can't trust ANYONE.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
4. TURN ON MACRO VIRUS PROTECTION IN MICROSOFT WORD, AND BEWARE
OF ALL WORD MACROS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT MACROS
ARE.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Word Macros are saved sequences of commands or keyboard
strokes that can be stored and then recalled with a single
command or keyboard stroke. They enable advanced Word users
to easily accomplish what would otherwise be difficult tasks.
They also allow virus writers to do serious damage to your
computer. For example, the Melissa virus was actually a Word
Macro virus.
If you use Word 97, go to Tools --> Options. Click on the
"General" tab. Make sure that "Macro virus protection" (at
the bottom of the list) is checked.
If you use Word 2000, Double-click on the Tools menu, point to
"Macro," and then choose "Security." Select the level of
security you want. High security will allow only macros that
have been signed to open. Unsigned macros will be
automatically disabled. Medium security always brings up the
macro dialog protection box that allows you to disable macros
if you are unsure of the macros.
With Macro virus protection turned on, Microsoft Word will
warn you every time you try to open a Word document that
contains a macro. The warning gives you three choices: the
option to open the file but disable its macros ("disable
macros"), open the file with macros enabled ("enable macros"),
or the option to not open the file ("do no open"). Chose the
first (default) option: "disable macros."
For more information, visit the Macro Virus Protection page at
http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/focus/articles/o97mcrod.htm
----------------------------------------------------------------------
5. RUN WINDOWS UPDATE AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Windows is aptly named because it is full of holes. There are
several, inadvertent 'open doors' (or 'security holes') in the
Windows operating system that *COULD* conceivably make your
computer vulnerable to outside attack. In specific, a mean-
spirited hacker *COULD* 'walk through' one of these open doors
on your Windows PC and read any file on your computer, delete
specific files or programs, or even completely erase your hard
drive.
When the folks at Microsoft discover a security hole, they
immediately release a software patch to close it. Without the
patch -- and there are MANY -- your computer is wide open to
outside attack.
Fortunately, downloading these patches couldn't be simpler.
Built into every Windows 95 and Windows 98 PC is something
called "Windows Update." Windows Update is completely free,
but there is one catch: you have to have Internet Explorer 5
to be able to use it. :(
Here is how to use Windows Update to download all of the
security patches Microsoft has released since your PC was
made:
1. Connect (or logon) to the Internet.
2. Go to Start --> Settings --> Windows Update on your
PC. This launches Internet Explorer and connects you
to Microsoft's Windows Update page
[ http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ ]. If you don't
have Internet Explorer 5 (IE5), Microsoft's Windows
Update page will talk you through the process of
downloading IE5. If you already have IE5, keep
reading.
3. On the top left-hand side of the Windows Update page,
click on the "Product Updates" link (it is the one
with the hand and the red *)
4. A pop-up window will appear, telling you to wait while
your computer DOESN'T send any information to
Microsoft (well, that's what it says!)
5. Eventually, you'll see a page that says "Select
Software." When Microsoft releases an essential
update or patch to close a security hole in Windows,
they put it in this page's "Critical Updates" section.
Select (or click on) EVERYTHING in the "Critical
Updates" section -- you need *ALL* of the critical
updates -- and then click on the big, gray "Download"
arrow in the top right hand corner of the page.
6. Follow the on-screen prompts. That's it! :)
New security holes are found in Windows every week or two, so it is a
good idea to run Windows Update at least once a month. The first time
you run it, expect to see a MESS of critical updates. After that,
though, there should only be one or two critical updates you'll have
to download every month.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
6. IF SOMEONE UNEXPECTEDLY SENDS YOU AN EXECUTABLE FILE -- IN
OTHER WORDS, A FILE THAT ENDS IN .EXE -- THROW IT OUT.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Most of the forty-six thousand viruses that are floating
around the Net right now are hiding in executable files. If
someone, even a close personal friend, unexpectedly sends you
a file that ends in .exe -- or if they unexpectedly send you a
zipped file that contains a file or files that end in .exe --
your safest bet is to delete the file without opening it.
The key word here is "unexpectedly." If you are expecting a
friend to send you an executable file, you certainly don't
need to delete that file -- just virus scan it first before
you open it.
However, if you are in an environment (like a home) where you
don't often receive ANY files attached to your incoming email
messages, a better rule would be: "When in doubt, throw it out
... and doubt EVERYTHING."
How well will these six rules protect your computer from becoming
infected with a virus, Trojan horse, or worm? Take a look at the
following questions, and decide for yourself. How many people whose
computers were infected with the Melissa virus ignored at least one of
these rules? ALL OF THEM! How many people who followed these six
rules had their computers infected by Melissa? NONE OF THEM! How
many people whose computers were infected with the WormExplore.Zip
virus ignored at least one of these rules? ALL OF THEM! How many
people who followed these six rules had their computers infected by
the WormExplore.Zip virus? NONE OF THEM!
These six rules will not protect you from every computer virus, Trojan
horse, or worm, but they will so significantly decrease your
computer's chances of becoming infected that you can all but forget
about the next virus scare and all the ones that will follow.
TODAY'S TOURBUS STOP(S):
Elf Bowling / Crispen's *SIX* Antivirus Rules
TODAY'S TOURBUS ADDRESS(ES):
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/y2kgame.hoax.html
---------------------------------
TODAY'S SOUTHERN WORD OF THE WEEK
---------------------------------
PEEL (noun). Small, rounded mass of medicine.
Usage: "The doctah gave me a peel and I'm all better!"
[Special thanks to "Joanne" for today's wurd]
You can find all of the old Southern Words of the day at
http://netsquirrel.com/crispen/word.html
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