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Net Gains (Jul 09, 97) |
Before I go any further, I have to thank all those who care enough
to include me in the list of people they e-mail warnings to every
now and then about a new virus. While the concern of the people
who keep forwarding such messages can be appreciated, most of
the time the warnings are hoaxes, and unnecessarily increase traffic
on the Internet. This week Net Gains takes a closer look at viruses
on the Internet.
This is what usually happens : someone receives an urgent message
from a friend: there's a new virus going around, and it's really
dangerous. If you read a certain email or click a certain link,
the virus will automatically erase your hard drive, or maybe do
hajaar other keeda. Having seen Jeff Goldblum so
easily uploading a computer virus into the alien mothership in
Independence Day, you're scared of what could happen to
you. Being a conscientious Net user, you pass the important warning
to everyone you know. And specially in India, where the Net is
still a new medium, and net users often uninformed and inexperienced,
these e-mails have a cascading effect. Imagine the unnecessary
load placed on VSNL's servers !
Here are some facts about viruses on the Internet you should keep
in mind. Your computer cannot get infected by :
- Reading an e-mail message
Just reading an e-mail CANNOT pass on a virus. The trouble lies in attachments to the e-mail message. Common examples are Word Documents that have the "macro virus". Or executables that come as attachments - once you run them, if there's a virus, you're in trouble. So take the usual precautions - scan the attachments, and be cautious about who sent it.
- Reading a Web page
Harmless again - if you enable all the security options in your browser. All you lucky shell account holders who use Lynx need not worry about this. Once again the trouble may start if you download any unknown program from a web page AND execute it.
Be warned though - there are harmless JavaScripts that can give you the fright of your life. If you're using a JavaScript enabled browser, see what I mean in the status bar of your browser on this page (refresh page) - Downloading files
No problem, download all that you can. But as I've mentioned before, the virus, if present, is harmless until you execute the downloaded program or open the file. To be safe, scan every file you download before you do anything with it.
Make sure you carefully read the CIAC Internet Hoaxes page
(http://www.ciac.org/ciac/CIACHoaxes.html) which showcases some
of the most popular hoaxes, and gives you tips on detecting a
hoax virus warning.
So the next time a well - meaning friend sends you an e-mail screaming
about a virus, be the educated one who contacts that person to
see if he/she really wrote the warning and if he/she really touched
the virus. If he/she is passing on a rumor or if the address of
the person does not exist or if there is any question about the
authenticity or the warning, do not circulate it to others. When
in doubt, do not send it out to the world.
And remember - scan anything you get from the Web before executing
it (or opening it in case of file attachments etc.). Know where
that attachment came from. To be on the safe side, download software
only from reliable sites. And don't forget - for a virus to spread,
it must be executed.
The good news is as of going to press, no virus has been created
that can cause major damage - like stealing your girlfriend, killing
your pet dog, eating all the ice cream from your fridge, ruining
your marriage, or destroying your house and your career. After
23 years of research I've finally come up with a foolproof way
to steer clear of computer viruses - hold your breath ! Don't
use a computer at all. Wear animal skin, find a club, and
look out for a cave to shift your residence to. And oh yes ! Happy
hunting for your next meal !
Computer Virus Myths http://kumite.com/myths/
NCSA Virus Lab http://www.ncsa.com/virus/
Free virus tutorial http://www.cknow.com/ck_prod.html#tutcom viruses
Yahoo: Viruseshttp://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Security_and_Encryption/Viruses/