Mail is being returned to me because it contains a virus, mail that
supposedly COMES FROM ME. I looked up a few names that I'm supposedly
sending infested mail to and they are on the four newsgroups that I
occasionally frequent. There are not many being returned, but I imagine
there are many more being received. Of course, everyone knows better
than to open any attachments and I definitely have not done so, so I
don't know how this happened. If your mail appears to be from me, it is
NOT. Toss it. I have also received similar wormy notes from some of
you who I definitely know would not send such slimy stuff.

Ruth Kazez

Mail is being returned to me because it contains a virus, mail that
supposedly COMES FROM ME. I looked up a few names that I'm supposedly
sending infested mail to and they are on the four newsgroups that I
occasionally frequent. There are not many being returned, but I imagine
there are many more being received. Of course, everyone knows better
than to open any attachments and I definitely have not done so, so I
don't know how this happened. If your mail appears to be from me, it is
NOT. Toss it. I have also received similar wormy notes from some of
you who I definitely know would not send such slimy stuff.

A Virus FYI-
Most viruses today "spoof" the "From:" field. Also, these "spoof" email addresses are now
not only harvested from a users email ADDRESS BOOK, but ALSO from .dbx files (the files
that Outlook Express uses to store email and newsgroup messages). ANYTHING in the .dbx
files with an @ symbol and a dotcom/net/etc, can be harvested and used as the "From:"
address (including email message "numbers" listed as (random numbers and letters) @ (news
server name dot domain)).

This "spoof" is absolutely irrelevant to where the virus actually comes from, as it is
faked by the virus program.

The only way to track the source of the virus, is to parse the header information and find
the IP address from which the virus is being sent.
http://lamb.iswiz.com/tracking_header_info.php

Now is a good time to remind everyone to DE-SPAM your email addresses because ANYONE who
has these newsgroups on their machine, and becomes infected, can potentially spread your
email address far and wide, because of this. You will then not only risk receiving the
virus itself, but a ton of "bounce" notices when the virus spoofs YOUR email address in
the "From:" field to invalid addresses.

More info on the latest viruses can be found at the following URL:
http://www.sarc.com
They have a searchable online database giving the details of most viruses.

http://www.trendmicro.com/en/securit...e/overview.htm
Tips on antivirus and computer security. They also have a FREE online virus scanner. (BE
WARNED-if you have "joke" programs, like the ones that open your CD tray, or the ones that
flip the view on your screen upside down, they will identify these as a virus. Do not
panic-this doesn't mean they are necessarily infected. Trend Micro's definition of a virus
includes programs that do "something unwanted or unexpected" and the jokes, though usually
very harmless, fall under that category.

http://lamb.iswiz.com/virus_help.php
User-friendly tips on helping prevent the spread of computer viruses.

Sidenote:
SMARTER SPAMBOTS-
Be warned that spambots are 'learning' to strip the "NO_SPAM" "DO_NOT_SPAM" "spam" etc
from email addresses. It is best to use something creative, that doesn't reference spam,
so they don't know how to extract your valid email address.

For example: my VALID email address is spam_hater AT killkillkill DOT com. My de-spammer
is CHEESE. If the spambot strips the "spam" it will end up with CHEESE_hater AT
killkillkill, which is not a valid email address.

Always remember to use a sig file letting folks know the 'way around' your address
de-spammer, if in fact you wish to allow other users to send you email.

Safe and happy computing!
DeAnna
--
http://lamb.iswiz.com/pond.php
If you remember that I prefer my spam without cheese-
then you may be able to email me.

Mail is being returned to me because it contains a virus, mail that
supposedly COMES FROM ME. I looked up a few names that I'm supposedly
sending infested mail to and they are on the four newsgroups that I
occasionally frequent. There are not many being returned, but I imagine
there are many more being received. Of course, everyone knows better
than to open any attachments and I definitely have not done so, so I
don't know how this happened. If your mail appears to be from me, it is
NOT. Toss it. I have also received similar wormy notes from some of
you who I definitely know would not send such slimy stuff.

A Virus FYI-
Most viruses today "spoof" the "From:" field. Also, these "spoof" email addresses are now
not only harvested from a users email ADDRESS BOOK, but ALSO from .dbx files (the files
that Outlook Express uses to store email and newsgroup messages). ANYTHING in the .dbx
files with an @ symbol and a dotcom/net/etc, can be harvested and used as the "From:"
address (including email message "numbers" listed as (random numbers and letters) @ (news
server name dot domain)).

This "spoof" is absolutely irrelevant to where the virus actually comes from, as it is
faked by the virus program.

The only way to track the source of the virus, is to parse the header information and find
the IP address from which the virus is being sent.
http://lamb.iswiz.com/tracking_header_info.php

Now is a good time to remind everyone to DE-SPAM your email addresses because ANYONE who
has these newsgroups on their machine, and becomes infected, can potentially spread your
email address far and wide, because of this. You will then not only risk receiving the
virus itself, but a ton of "bounce" notices when the virus spoofs YOUR email address in
the "From:" field to invalid addresses.

More info on the latest viruses can be found at the following URL:
http://www.sarc.com
They have a searchable online database giving the details of most viruses.

http://www.trendmicro.com/en/securit...e/overview.htm
Tips on antivirus and computer security. They also have a FREE online virus scanner. (BE
WARNED-if you have "joke" programs, like the ones that open your CD tray, or the ones that
flip the view on your screen upside down, they will identify these as a virus. Do not
panic-this doesn't mean they are necessarily infected. Trend Micro's definition of a virus
includes programs that do "something unwanted or unexpected" and the jokes, though usually
very harmless, fall under that category.

http://lamb.iswiz.com/virus_help.php
User-friendly tips on helping prevent the spread of computer viruses.

Sidenote:
SMARTER SPAMBOTS-
Be warned that spambots are 'learning' to strip the "NO_SPAM" "DO_NOT_SPAM" "spam" etc
from email addresses. It is best to use something creative, that doesn't reference spam,
so they don't know how to extract your valid email address.

For example: my VALID email address is spam_hater AT killkillkill DOT com. My de-spammer
is CHEESE. If the spambot strips the "spam" it will end up with CHEESE_hater AT
killkillkill, which is not a valid email address.

Always remember to use a sig file letting folks know the 'way around' your address
de-spammer, if in fact you wish to allow other users to send you email.

Safe and happy computing!
DeAnna
--
http://lamb.iswiz.com/pond.php
If you remember that I prefer my spam without cheese-
then you may be able to email me.

Pond Newbie wrote:
..........
The only way to track the source of the virus, is to parse the header information and find
the IP address from which the virus is being sent.
http://lamb.iswiz.com/tracking_header_info.php

Thank you so much for your whole informative note. I'm going straight
to the above url right now.

Ruth Kazez

Pond Newbie wrote:
..........
The only way to track the source of the virus, is to parse the header information and find
the IP address from which the virus is being sent.
http://lamb.iswiz.com/tracking_header_info.php

Thank you so much for your whole informative note. I'm going straight
to the above url right now.

Ruth Kazez

rtk wrote:

Mail is being returned to me because it contains a virus, mail that
supposedly COMES FROM ME.

It may, but it may not.

Viruses spoof return addresses to achieve maximum confusion. The virus could
originate from someone else, you could be in their email address book, and
the virus forges the "from" line to make it look like its coming from you.

Welcome to cyberterrorism.

gtoomey

Many viruses fake the "from" line. They pick one at random
from the address book of the infected PC. So it is simply the
case that some infected guy out there has you in their address
book.

Don

"rtk" wrote in message ...
Mail is being returned to me because it contains a virus, mail that
supposedly COMES FROM ME. I looked up a few names that I'm supposedly
sending infested mail to and they are on the four newsgroups that I
occasionally frequent. There are not many being returned, but I imagine
there are many more being received. Of course, everyone knows better
than to open any attachments and I definitely have not done so, so I
don't know how this happened. If your mail appears to be from me, it is
NOT. Toss it. I have also received similar wormy notes from some of
you who I definitely know would not send such slimy stuff.

Ruth Kazez

Many viruses fake the "from" line. They pick one at random
from the address book of the infected PC. So it is simply the
case that some infected guy out there has you in their address
book.

Don

"rtk" wrote in message ...
Mail is being returned to me because it contains a virus, mail that
supposedly COMES FROM ME. I looked up a few names that I'm supposedly
sending infested mail to and they are on the four newsgroups that I
occasionally frequent. There are not many being returned, but I imagine
there are many more being received. Of course, everyone knows better
than to open any attachments and I definitely have not done so, so I
don't know how this happened. If your mail appears to be from me, it is
NOT. Toss it. I have also received similar wormy notes from some of
you who I definitely know would not send such slimy stuff.

Ruth Kazez

Xref: kermit rec.ponds:140713

Pond Newbie wrote:

Sidenote:
SMARTER SPAMBOTS-
Be warned that spambots are 'learning' to strip the "NO_SPAM" "DO_NOT_SPAM" "spam" etc
from email addresses. It is best to use something creative, that doesn't reference spam,
so they don't know how to extract your valid email address.

Something that is catching on is to use "spam" as part of your legit
e-mail addy. The spambots make the addy invalid by stripping "spam".

I've found the number of spams hitting my inbox has dropped to near
zero since switching to a hotmail account for news group posting,
probably due to the filtering used by M$.

You are supposed to be able to use Outlook Express to retrieve i-mail
from there, but I suggest that is a very poor idea. Use the browser
and let M$ worry about viruses in *their* machines. (I figure I'm
doing them a *favor* by getting them lots and lots of virus samples.
BEG)

And it isn't just mail boxes they're taking addresses from, read this
request I sent to Koi USA:

My e-mail is listed as a contact for the Mid-Columbia Koi & Pond Club, I'm
also involved in our regional club and various other things so I am on
several e-mail lists. I'm not much of a web surfer, except to koi/pond
related sites so in the past I've rarely had to deal with spam. Due to the
complexities of computers though and the latest viruses. I've been getting
more spam lately, and more spoofed return addresses carrying virus related
attachments. I'm not too concerned for myself as my husband's business is
computer security, so we're well covered to keep viruses out.

Others are not so fortunate and I was wondering if KOI USA could inform the
koi community, and those who pick our e-mail addresses out of the
magazine, about the problem? Below is some discussion regarding this.

The latest netiquette news regarding sending things en mass to folks
through e-mail is the request that one use the Bcc: address line.

Not only do you get rid of the massive header, but did you know that many
Email programs will put all those addresses that they find in an incoming
email's To: and Cc: in a history file or cache? All of those people now
have all those addresses on their system, probably forever.

Next, one of those people gets infected by a virus that starts sending
itself out so it can spread. Let's say that it infects Sally's PC. The
virus doesn't just say that it came from Sally, it "spoofs" the return
address(es). It uses Sally's address book AND address history file for
addresses to use. So Sally's infected PC starts sending out virus copies
as fast as it can to the whole world AND it looks like it is from any one
of us. Personally, I've even had some coming in with spoofed Koi related
subjects lately, it's amazing, and scary.

Maybe a short notice on the page with our email addresses would be a
start: "Please help protect our volunteers email addresses from the
spammers. When sending email to multiple recipients, use the blind carbon
copy (Bcc) feature of your email software."

I haven't heard anything back, so I doubt they're run anything regarding
it. ( ~ jan


~ jan (Do you know where your water quality is?)

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