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Virus Hoaxes It
is not just a harmless prank
There are a lot of viruses out there - some are real and some are not!
Virus hoaxes
or warning messages regarding virus hoaxes could be more than mere
annoyance. Computer users could get accustomed to ignoring virus alerts
due to the vast number of hoaxes out there, and thus there lies the
danger.
People who create viruses use existing
hoaxes to their advantage. Once a hoax is known, one can create a real
virus and use the hoax as a ploy and distribute viruses. An example of
this is the AOL4Free hoax. Someone began to distribute a
destructive Trojan horse (e.g., Back Orifice, Netbus, trinoo - Once a
Trojan is installed, your system may be controlled remotely with the
ability to do anything that one wishes.) in a file named AOL4FREE, attached to the
original hoax virus warning!
The lessons are clear:
- Always remain vigilant
- Never execute or open any suspicious
files
- If you don't have an anti-virus
software that has been kept up-to-date on a weekly basis, never
execute or open any files or email attachments
- Never open an email attachment unless you know what it
is - even
if it comes from someone you know and trust
For a listing of virus hoaxes
visit the following links:
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