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Daily Log
9:00:00 AM: Pour cup of coffee and dial up Internet connection...
9:00:30 AM: Connection established...
9:01:00 AM: Open browser and ICQ...
9:01:30 AM: Incoming ICQ message - Subject: VIRUS ALERT!...
9:02:00 AM: Download email
Subject Message 1: VIRUS WARNING!...
Subject Message 2: Little Girl Dying...
Subject Message 3: E-mail or get a Virus...
Subject Message 4: DO NOT OPEN - VIRUS...
9:02:30 AM: Enter message board - New topic: NEW VIRUS STRIKES!...
9:02:31 AM: Choke on coffee, disconnect, cancel internet access and sell computer.
The preceding may seem exaggerated to some, but to others it serves as a humorous parody of life on the 'Net. Every day it seems there is a new virus warning circulating via email, messenger programs, chat rooms or message boards. Many people immediately react and forward these alerts to everyone in their address book. Some simply delete the message and forget about it. Neither is the best reaction.
While there is a very real threat to your system from the numerous computer viruses in circulation, many of these so-called alerts, though they sound authentic, are hoaxes. While hoaxes do not infect systems, they are time consuming and costly to handle. So how do you determine which reports to take seriously and which to write-off as bogus?
The U.S. Department of Energy's Computer Incident Advisory Capability (C.I.A.C.) is one of the leading authorities on viruses, hoaxes and Internet "chain letters." They recently stated that they are "spending much more time de-bunking hoaxes than handling real virus incidents." They advise against spreading unconfirmed warnings and advocate validating such alerts with an authoritative source, such as anti-virus software vendors, network security administrators and computer-incident advisory teams (CIAC, CERT, ASSIST, NASIRC, etc.) True virus alerts will be digitally (PGP) signed by the issuing team. Warnings that do not contain the name of the person sending the original notice, or those with phony names, addresses and phone numbers are probably hoaxes."
Internet "chain letters" have become nearly as prolific as virus and hoax warnings. Similar to their snail-mail cousin, these messages may promise good fortune in luck and love or monetary compensation if forwarded, or forewarn of certain doom if the instructions are not carried out. Chain letters, like viruses hoaxes, are time consuming and costly, waste precious internet bandwidth, and literally clog email servers like drains. They are also illegal (see this US Postal Service statement) if they request money or anything else of value.
CIAC Resources (outside links):
This article written and prepared for the Eureka Today Newsletter by J. Brown aka: jem3030, a CL with experience in tracking hoax and virus information we receive in GeoCities. Before you act on e-mail that might be misinformation you should follow through on the above posted material to confirm whether you have received a bona fide message, or determine if it was a time-consuming hoax.