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is it a virus

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by 1959 1 view

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Just repaired a computer. The customer, on the 04/02/2005 opened up an email attachment, within seconds the computer had a blank screen. I have never come across this before. The computer itself has completely lost its directory. I have been informed tonight by the customer, that their friends computers have all crashed with the same symptoms after opening up this attachment. I will let you know the name of this attachment when i have more information. I can tell you it was something regarding a "jpg".

8 replies

by willcomp

This is in response to a private message, but I believe it is worth adding for public use.

Although those systems had NAV installed and updated (which I assume to mean auto updates) they still got infected. Sadly, that is common.

Norton AV software updates itself weekly but new viruses are released almost daily and spread rapidly via e-mail. Heuristic scanning catches some and some are not detected. So by the time definitions are updated, the damage is done.

Best practice in e-mail is to not open any attachment you were not specifically expecting. Odds are that malicious e-mails will be from someone you know (address books used for forwarding). So many people swap jokes and feel-good messages with attachments that most users are not cautious about opening attachments.

by otl

Welcome to the Virus world ! If you do not know about it, about 1994 a malicious virus was sent out via e-mail (outlook was the targeted audience), Virus name was "Stoned". At a specific date or after opening Outlook a specific number of times (virus variations) the PC would display a black screen and in red letters " You have been Stoned" as it ate the HD, except for boot sector and the Basic code to create the aforementioned display.

Newer versions grab the address book and send to all on the list (to get the widest audience)

BTW - customer was lucky! Was not a BIOS virus !

by borginva

If you can still somehow access the internet on those PCS, you these sites to scan (some will clean) the PCs. You will definitly be able to see what file is infected. I would not trust the configurations of those PCs virue programs since they obviously could not stop it. My NAV is set up that I have tested opening up viruses in my emails and it blocked them. I always use the highest settings.
Use these fre eonline scan sites:
http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/home.asp?langid=ie&venid=sym&plfid=23&pkj=QQWRORVWHFHMFNZMBBX
http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/licence.php
http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/com/activescan_principal.htm
http://housecall.antivirus.com/housecall/start_corp.asp
Info sites
http://virusthreatcenter.com/?tag=zd.ft.fs.vtc
http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?id=vrt
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/

For Spyware:
http://download.zonelabs.com/bin/promotions/spywaredetector/index3.html

Good luck.

by borginva

Some updated info from my personal collection:

4/23/05

To completely avoid spyware and viruses, turn PC off. Truthfully.
If you really want to use it, prevention with running programs are best. Read their docs on how to use them and update them. All these are FREE.
Oh, yes! KEEP WINDOWS UP TO DATE! Use the AUTOMATIC UPDATE feature.

ONLINE VIRUS CHECKS, no software install required other than an Active X component if required (some do removals):
Symantec Security Check
http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/home.asp?langid=ie&venid=sym&plfid=23&pkj=QQWRORVWHFHMFNZMBBX
BitDefender
http://www.bitdefender.com/scan/licence.php
Panda ActiveScan
http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/com/activescan_principal.htm
Trend Micro Online Virus Scan
http://housecall.antivirus.com/housecall/start_corp.asp
Trend Micro Housecall
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
Virus Threat Center Blog
http://virusthreatcenter.com/?tag=zd.ft.fs.vtc
McAfee Virus Removal Tools
http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?id=vrt

ONLINE SPYWARE CHECKS
ZoneAlarm Spyware Check
http://download.zonelabs.com/bin/promotions/spywaredetector/index3.html

REFERANCE
http://www.download.com/spyware-center/2001-2023-0.html?tag=note

ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE (again all FREE)
Free avast! 4 Home Edition
http://www.asw.cz/eng/avast_4_home.html
AVG FREE
http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php
AntiVir? PersonalEdition Classic
http://www.free-av.com/index.htm
BitDefender Free Edition v7
http://www.bitdefender.com/bd/site/products.php?p_id=24

by borginva

ANTI SPYWARE
About:Buster
http://www.malwarebytes.biz/index.php
Bug Off
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html
CWShredder
http://www.intermute.com/spysubtract/cwshredder_download.html
HijackThis 1.99.1
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html
Ad-Aware SE Personal edition
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
Microsoft? Windows AntiSpyware (Beta) [I believe updates are done through Windows Update)
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
Spybot Search and Destroy 1.3
http://www.safer-networking.org/
SpywareBlaster 3.3
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
X-RayPC Spyware Process Analyzer 1.001
http://www.x-raypc.com/

TO WATCH YOUR START UP PROGRAMS

MSCONFIG (not on W2k)
Use RUN and type MSCONFIG and then hit ENTER
Use these programs too
Startup Monitor
http://www.mlin.net/index.shtml
StartupRun v1.22
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/strun.html

FREE FIREWALLS:

ZoneAlarm (one of the BEST, even for free)
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp?lid=staticcomp_za
Sygate Personal Firewall 5.x (never used myself but it is a good one)
http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf_standard.htm

AND MORE ONLIE FIREWALL TESTS
ShieldsUP!
https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2
LeakTest
http://www.grc.com/lt/leaktest.htm
Symantec Security Check
http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/home.asp?langid=ie&venid=sym&plfid=23&pkj=QQWRORVWHFHMFNZMBBX

by wlbowers

Antivirus should be updated everyday.
Microsoft patches should be installed as soon as they are posted. Auto update notification should be enabled.

I use eTrust and have it set for every 12hrs. I have seen two updates come through in one day.

Good Luck Lee

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