Hello friend
Please do not read this message if you are in a hurry. Wait until you have time.
I received a message from unknown using the phrase " look at this it isamazing", and the content was a deadly virus "Navidad.exe" !! This is just the world known "Love" virus with a new name!
Who is the sender? I do not know. Why she chose this introductory phrase for her message, which was taken fully from an earlier message from a different address, again I do not know. . I should not know if the message was only directed to me. But, it was easy to work out. It is the chain of addresses
on top of the earlier message that enabled the sender to pick up any address. That message was sent to both of us.
I was fortunate enough to have a warning from a new friend, coming very quickly to warn me. I received a warning message titled "URGENT" and asking, in a very intelligent way, to open the message BEFORE the one from.. then mentioned the sender name of a specific message. I say intelligent because I almost knew the story form the message title and before opening it. The warning was from Sahar El-Nadi, a new name to me.
I then removed the infected message file, and wondered!
What if I received no warning? What if I opened the message containing the deadly virus?
Some of you might have had the same experience.
Some might have been already victimized.
Some might have known Sahar before
But to me, the whole thing was really strange. It looked like some people, you do not know, are fighting inside your house!
I was of course suspicious, but logically I started with the warning message, the deleted the other one. I tell you honestly, for a moment I did not fully care for Sahar's. I thought for a while the message could just be a plough. Why not this message be the one I should not open first? Why should not the other message be the good one that some one does not want me to see? You see?!. If you do not know people, anything can happen, if you know them, a big difference.
I did not know either, and I wanted to know exactly what was going on. I went to the serious message, and without opening the attachment I looked at the file name. It was Navidad.exe itself.
Sending to a list of addresses can make many people exposed to misuse and abuse of their addresses.
Not all people are clean
Not all people are sensitive
Not all people like others or want them to live in peace.
Also not all people are careful even if they are the cleanest, the most sensitive and the most peaceful of all. So, every one should protect himself, and also his friends.
One of the properties of many viruses is to send itself to all addresses in any address list on the computer reached by the virus. This may mean that the virus sender may be innocent, but means also that his/her computer is infected.
The common main property of all viruses is that the virus would take over all orders and make the computer behave according to virus orders; usually disorganizing and destructive. No control can be obtained unless the user deletes all the files.
Here are some ideas on what to do to keep your computer, yourself, and your friends happy.
1- If you are insisting that you must practice sending mass mail to a list of addresses, do not include the list in your message to everyone. Instead, have them all on one single group then create a new single address for the group that only you have access to. You will be the controller, and you can
examine the messages and decide which are safe and clean and which should be discarded. Then you can reforward the messages you like to the list.
2- You may opt not to send any mass mail containing a list of addresses.
3- Use a good anti-virus program to scan your files regularly and before and after opening your mail.
Good anti-virus programs used worldwide include McFee and Norton. These can scan your files for presence of viruses, give you information about the found virus and can also deal with viruses by removing or destroying them and removing or destroying the infected files. If there is no treatment for the virus you will receive a message telling you that no treatment is available. Then you will have to manually delete the file/s containing the virus. This is the safest method. Remember that once a virus file is open you cannot do much. Protection is the wisest way.
4- Do not use just any email address offered on the Internet. Use Only those programs that provide automatic virus scan of the new mail and warn you in advance before opening a new message if it is containing a virus, so you can delete it.
Dear friend
I admit my message is a bit long, but please forgive me. All what I want is to keep a dear friend and to keep in touch with him/her. I know also that you have now made a good chain of friends worldwide. This should be very valuable to you and you must be keen on keeping their friendship live and healthy.
You may be already aware of all or some of these facts, so please accept my talk as highlighting of what you already know.
Also please accept my compliments and my for Ramadan, Eid and NewYear.
Yours sincerely
O. Afifi.