Virus Info

Virus Hoaxes Win XPFirewall e-Card "threat"

The "Virus Info" page contains information of importance and interest to computer users. Read our information on how to minimize your risk of getting viruses and other timely information. For lists of viruses check antivirus web sites.

The best thing you can do is avoid viruses. Your first three lines of defense should be:

Run a good antivirus program and keep it updated. If you do not know how to update, go to our Update page for information.

Dwayne Alton's rules of safe computing:

	Use a firewall. Turn on the one built into XP, install the free ZoneAlarm or one of your choice.
	Keep your Operating System updated with the critical updates. For Windows: http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp

Follow the Compu Doc's four rules of safe computing regarding e-mail attachments:

	Do you know who the e-mail is from?
	Do you know what the attachment is?
	Do you know what the attachment does?
	Did the attachment originate with the sender?

If you cannot answer "Yes" to all four questions, delete the e-mail and its attachment.

Brian Barnes' June 17, 2004 "Spyware" Presentation
You can read his notes here
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General virus information:
The next foursites are good sites but are rather technical. You should become familiar with one or two of them. The more you know the better off you will be. To find information on a specific virus look for a search feature and/or an alphabetical listing to look that virus up.

http://vil.mcafee.com/

http://www.f-secure.com/virus-info/v-pics/ - has a listing of virus names with complete description and screen shots of what you might see.

http://www.sophos.com/ - the latest 10 viruses.

http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/index.html - Click on "Security Response"

The next site is less technical and has "Quick facts" on the right side , but the information may not be as timely.
http://www.cnet.com/software/0-7760531-8-6319437-1.html?tag=stbc.gp

Virus Hoaxes and Urban Legends:
Sometimes reports of viruses are hoaxes. How can you tell the difference? Visit http://www.f-secure.com/virus-info/hoax/ especially if you can not find a listing on any of the above links. Use the search feature on this page.

Another great place to check out warnings is http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/HBHoaxIndex.html On their Search page, you can put in "needle" and be linked to all the scary stories about needles.

Urban Legends can be those email stories or offers that you find hard to believe or just nice stories. Check them out here: www.snopes.com

For a little humor about hoaxes, go to our Hoax Fun page. It incorporates many of the telltale signs that something may be a hoax.

Hoax list:
Listed below are two hoaxes that have been making the rounds recently. They both tell you to search your C drive and delete the file. Both files are windows system files. Do not delete any file from your computer on the advice of an email. If you have deleted a file and later find you should not have, check to see if it is still in your Recycle Bin. If it is there, Restore it. If you cannot find the file, there are links below for Microsoft support to restore the files.

jdbgmgr.exe or teddy bear icon -

The hoax is a message coming apparently from Symantec corporation and contains a warning on the JDBGMGR hoax - plus a virus attached to it.

In April 2002 there appeared a hoax message concerning a new virus that was reportedly discovered in Windows utility JDBGMGR.EXE. The jdbgmgr is a standard windows component that is found in every windows installation, it is used as Java debugger manager in Microsoft Java runtime engine.

Please ignore this hoax or anything similar warning about jdbgmgr.exe and don't pass it on.

If you have deleted jdbgmgr.exe, please see Microsoft knowledgebase article Q322993 for instructions how to restore your system: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q322993

sulfnbk.exe -

There is an email hoax going around saying to check your computer for a file called sulfnbk.exe and to check your computer. The hoax is that it tells you to remove the file. If you get SULFNBK.EXE in an e-mail attachment, it is probably a virus. If you find it in your Windows directory, it is probably not.

Please ignore this hoax or anything similar warning about sulfnbk.exe and don't pass it on.

What to do if you already found SULFNBK.EXE from your Windows\system directory and deleted it? Not to worry, most users never need this tool. But if you run into problems with long filenames and start to see things like "FILENA~1.TXT" in your Windows Start Menu, you might need the tool. In that case, follow these Microsoft instructions to restore it:

http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q301316

XP Firewall Instructions from our technical experts David and Bill for turning on the built-in firewall* – Windows XP ONLY:

You may have an icon for “Network Connections” on your Start menu. If so, roll your mouse over Network Connections, then click “Show All Connections.” If you cannot find Network Connections on your Start menu, click Start, then open the Control Panel. In Control Panel, click to open Network Connections.
If you are using a dial-up connection to the internet (including AOL and all other internet service providers), you will see an icon for that connection in the Network Connections box. Roll mouse over the icon for the internet service provider and right-click on it.
Left-click on Properties. Properties box will open. Click on the “Advanced” tab at the top of the box.
If it is not checked, click to put a checkmark in the box that says “Protect my computer and network, etc.” Click OK to apply the settings. The firewall is now active and the icon in Network Connections will include the word “Firewalled” to show it is turned on. Close out of the Control Panel.

* The XP firewall cannot be turned on with AOL. Zone Alarm does work for folks we have heard from.

e Card "Threat"

There are e-mails going around which have an e-card from FriendGreetings.com. There is another e-mail going around with warnings about the e-card. Symantec says "Symantec Security Response is aware of a widespread e-card (electronic greeting card) that appears to have the characteristics of a worm. Security Response does not classify this as a malicious threat, and as such, will not detect any files that are associated with the e-card. The installation of software that is associated with the e-card requires your permission for it to be installed. If you cancel the installation of the software, no worm-like activities will be performed. The installer package requires that you accept two End User License Agreements (EULA) in order to complete the installation. The EULA explicitly states that by accepting the agreement, you are authorizing the software to send an email to all contacts in the Microsoft Outlook contacts list." The software is from Permissioned Media Inc. For more information go to: http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/friendgreetings.html

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Last updated 09/28/2004