Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 23:43:08 -0400
Reply-To: TOURBUS-Request@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Sender: The Internet TourBus - A virtual tour of cyberspace
From: Bob Rankin
Subject: TOURBUS - 31 Jul 01 - Virus Prevention 102
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TOURBUS Volume 7, Number 03 -- 31 July 2001
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\___/ \___/ T h e I n t e r n e t T o u r B u s \___/
SIX YEARS of Searchable Archives at http://www.TOURBUS.com !
TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPIC: VIRUS PREVENTION 102
When I wrote in Virus Prevention 101 that "You CANNOT get a virus just
by opening or reading your email" it unleashed a torrent of emails in
response. I expected this, because I know that TOURBUS riders are
generally smarter and better-looking than the rest of the population.
Read on for Virus Prevention 102 - even more information on virus
prevention!
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KAAAAAAAK!
------------
Most of the people who responded to the last issue wrote to tell me
about the K-A-K worm, which slithered onto the Net in 1998, and took
advantage of a problem in some versions of Microsoft Outlook and
Outlook Express. The K-A-K worm could in fact do its damage when you
opened the message, either by clicking on it, or when it appeared in
the Outlook preview pane. (I've inserted dashes in all the virus names
here to prevent over-zealous email filters from automatically deleting
this article.)
This is the ONLY case I know of where a virus/worm thingie could
affect a computer without relying on unwitting users who open
attachments indiscriminately. However, a patch for this bug has been
available for over two years! (See the section later in this article
about Windows Update.)
I did qualify my statement that "you cannot get a virus just by
reading your email" with the importance of keeping your email software
up to date. There is so much unwarranted fear, media hype and
misinformation surrounding the subject of computer viruses and email
attachments. That's why I feel it is important to make people aware
that they are quite safe if they use updated email software and abide
by common sense handling of attachments.
-------------------------------
I'll Have The Caveat, Please.
-------------------------------
Honestly, I was afraid that if I made a statement like "in some
circumstances it IS possible to get a virus by opening an email" then
the rest of the message would be lost in the ensuing panic. Never
mind that this can only happen to people using old, unpatched email
software. Never mind that the fix for this problem has been available
for two years. RUN FOR THE HILLS! THE VIRUSES ARE A-COMIN'!!!
I will continue to stand by my statement that "you cannot get a virus
just by reading your email" but I'll add the caveat "as long as your
email software is up to date". I was tempted to say "as long as you
don't use a Microsoft browser or email product" but then Bill Gates
might not invite me to his holiday party. So I won't say that. :-)
If you use Netscape's built-in email program, or Eudora, or almost ANY
email software NOT made by Microsoft, you don't have to worry about
this K-A-K problem, and viruses will only get you if you let them.
Hey, that's kind of like the vampire thing -- they can't get you
unless you invite them in.
-----------------
Keeping Current
-----------------
So how do you keep your software updated and make sure all the latest
security patches are applied? If you use Internet Explorer and/or a
Microsoft email program such as Outlook or Outlook Express, it's
important to use Windows Update regularly and download any Critical
Updates recommended for your system.
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
If you use Netscape, Eudora or other Mac Internet software, here are
some links to find new versions, upgrades or security patches:
NETSCAPE SMART UPDATE - http://home.netscape.com/smartupdate
EUDORA EMAIL SOFTWARE - http://www.eudora.com
APPLE SOFTWARE UPDATE - http://asu.info.apple.com
It's my understanding that you can avoid most Windows-based viruses
(including K-A-K, B-u-b-b-l-e-B-o-y, M-e-l-i-s-s-a, I-L-O-V-E-Y-O-U
and many others) by disabling a feature called Windows Scripting Host.
To do so click Start / Find / Files and type in WSCRIPT. Set "Look in"
to your C: drive. Click Find Now, then delete or rename any files
that begin with WSCRIPT. Repeat this process using CSCRIPT instead of
WSCRIPT. Some people warn that this will prevent some legitimate uses
of Visual Basic Scripting, but I did this two years ago and it's never
caused a problem for me.
------------------------------------------------
Notes On Revealing Windows Filename Extensions
------------------------------------------------
In my Virus Prevention 101 article, I warned that you should be
careful when using the apparent filename of an attachment as a guide
to whether or not you can safely open it.
> The standard behavior of Windows is to hide the file extension
> (the last three characters) when filenames are displayed. Some
> virus writers take advantage of this and create files with names
> such as HAPPY.JPG.SCR, which will display as HAPPY.JPG. It
> appears to be a harmless JPG (photo) file, but is really a nasty
> virus. To force Windows to display the entire filename, open
> Windows Explorer, click on View / Folder Options / View, then
> UNcheck the "Hide file extensions for known file types" option.
Several readers mentioned that they had to use View / Tools instead of
View / Folder Options, so if you had trouble finding this option, try
that route instead.
More importantly, I got a note about this from Uzi Paz. Whenever Uzi
writes to me I pay attention, because he is a Very Smart Person and
Doer of Good Net Deeds. Also, his name is UZI. :-)
Uzi says: "Be aware that this doesn't always work." And he explains
in much greater detail in his "Security and Filename Extensions"
article how Gatus of Borg has deigned to hide certain file extensions
even when they are supposed to be unhidden; along with instructions
for revealing ALL potentially harmful file extensions, without using
run-on sentences or improperly-placed punctuation marks.
http://www.uzipaz.com/eng/safe.html
-----------------
Quick View Plus
-----------------
Tourbus rider Nat had this suggestion about pre-viewing attached
files:
"I always view attachments first with Quick View Plus. I can
view most documents I receive without opening them and risking
virus infection. After that I only have to worry about the ones
I can't view with Quick View. Everything else either gets
discarded, scanned with my virus scanner prior to opening, or
confirmation from the sender."
According the manufacturer, Quick View Plus will "view email
attachments (graphics, documents, spreadsheets, databases,
presentations, zip files, and more) instantly, whether you have the
original application or not." Quick View insulates you from
potentially harmful macro viruses that can hide in word processor or
spreadsheet files. A free 30-day evaluation copy of Quick View Plus
is available for download from the JASC site below.
http://www.jasc.com
------------------------------
What About Macs? And Linux?
------------------------------
One thing I didn't mention in Virus Prevention 101 is that there are
very few viruses that affect Mac or Linux systems. This isn't because
those platforms are inherently safer than Windows PC's, or because
it's harder to write a virus for Mac or Linux. The reason has to do
with market share. Since Mac and Linux users represent less than 10%
of the computing population, virus writers generally choose to ignore
them.
If you're an Evil Hacker about to unleash a virus on the world, and
you want it to affect the maximum number of people, you'll write a
virus that affects Windows-based computers. That's not to say that
viruses don't exist outside the Windows world. They do, but they
number in the dozens, as opposed to the tens of thousands that
potentially threaten Windows users.
So what do I recommend for people who use Macs or Linux? Nothing
different, really. Don't open attachments unless you know these three
things:
- Who sent it (confirmed by phone or email)
- Why they sent it
- What it is
----------------------------------------------------
When It DOES Make Sense to use Anti-Virus Software
----------------------------------------------------
My conclusion in Virus Prevention 101 was that anti-virus software is
a waste of time and money for most people. I stand by that statement.
However, if your job requires you to receive email attachments that
contain word processor or spreadsheet files, or you frequently
download new software, or you receive files on portable disks, then to
be absolutely safe you SHOULD use an anti-virus program. You can find
a bunch of popular ones here:
http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=anti-virus
That's all for now. I'll see you next time! --Bob Rankin
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