Virus Attack Scheduled for Noon, PDT - Expect the unexpected.
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TV ClubHouse: ARCHIVES: Big Brother USA 2003 General Discussions Part 1: Virus Attack Scheduled for Noon, PDT - Expect the unexpected.

Xarph

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 12:02 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Virus Attack

Smokey

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 12:07 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Xarph--any ideas as to what's next?

Churah

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 12:10 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I just got this from local news. Seems like this virus knows a "TWIST" when it sees one. Can't say the same for BB when it comes to a TWIST.

New Twist In Virus Attacks Expected Friday

Unknown Software Could Come To Infected Machines

UPDATED: 2:45 p.m. EDT August 22, 2003

The SoBig.F e-mail virus that clogged inboxes this week with returned-mail messages may be planning to download software onto infected machines Friday afternoon.

The downloads are expected to start at 3 p.m. Eastern Friday.

{REMEMBER: Don't open e-mail attachments that end in .vbs, .pif or other unfamiliar extensions. Even if the e-mail appears to come from a trusted source, it could be someone "spoofing" an address. Confirm it's from who you think it's from before you open.}

An expert at antivirus company F-Secure said it's not known what the function of the software would be; he said it could be anything from playing a game to destroying files or stealing passwords.

The download attempt is expected to run every Friday and Sunday.

The Los Angeles Times reported that SoBig.F is one of the first viruses to open a "back door" in infected systems that allows unauthorized connections.

F-Secure said in a press release that the possibly malicious program will try to get infected machines to connect to an encrypted list of computers hidden in the virus body. The list contains the address of 20 computers located in United States, Canada and South Korea.

One of the companies directors, Mikko Hypponen, said the systems appear to be home computers with always-on connections.

Computers that connect to the 20 machines will apparently be given a Web address from which they will download and run another program -- the one that could cause damage.

So far, SoBig.F hasn't been able cause any direct damage to an infected machine; However it can damage e-mail systems by sending out a high volume of mail to e-mail contacts. The worm takes an address from an infected computer's address book and uses that as the "from" line in dozens or hundreds of e-mails it sends out, making them appear more like legitimate mail.

That flood of "spoofed" e-mail results in returned-mail and "virus found" messages for users who don't have the virus.

If your e-mail program allows you to, you can deflect some of those messages by setting rules or filters for your inbox, funneling messages to your deleted items folder.

In popular e-mail clients such as Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express, go to the Tools menu to set up the rules. In Outlook, look for the "Rules Wizard." In Express, look for "Message rules." You can elect to have messages with troublesome subject lines -- such as "Thank You!" "Your details," "Details," "Wicked screensaver" -- automatically deleted, or you can create a special folder the program diverts the mail to. That way, you can review the messages to make sure nothing legitimate is deleted.

Corporate antivirus company Postini -- which says it has processed 101 million email messages in the last 24 hours -- found that one in 19 messages was infected with a virus.

The worm is set to expire Sept. 10, but don't wait until then to delete it. Symantec has a program that you can download to remove SoBig, which lists itself on a computer as winppr32.exe.

Xarph

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 12:11 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
You can observe the world wide Internet load here.

Spunky

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 12:23 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I wonder if the so-called Anti-Virus Companies have something to do with it... what else do they want?? Every fricken computer owner has an anti-virus program, how much money did they make already!! Every year we have to renew the anti-virus software and every year they make a bundle of money... they may think there are still computers out there which do not have any AV and they want their money..

Ooops, this belongs to the Conspiracy Thread.. :)

Scorpiomoon

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 12:28 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I don't mean to sound like a computer snob, but for the love of God, why are people still opening file attachments--especially from people they don't know?

I guess it's for the same reason people still drive while drunk.

Xarph

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 12:29 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
The same reason people still apply for BB USA?

Hobbs

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 12:31 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Where's that train wreck pic, Xarph.

Xarph

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 12:37 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
It looks like the protectors were able to shut down 19 out of the 20 master servers. It is looking like this event will be as much of a non-event as the lastest BB4 "Twist."

Shedances

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 12:42 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Whew, using a Macintosh computer sure saves a lot of time, money, and hair pulling. With the Mac platform - using both system 9 and OS X we are SAFE! It's like never being nominated AND winning the golden veto every day. Think about changing platforms, after all Windows is software that made your computers more user friendly being designed like the Mac interface.

Rainwoman

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 12:45 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Wouldn't it be funny if you could send this back to your attacker? (don't panic, it's only a joke)

animated virus

Xarph

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 12:47 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
After posting an alert to a non-event, I feel like this:

fim

Hobbs

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 12:50 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Shedances, if MAC's were as popular as Windows computers, the creeps that are doing this would be going after them and ignoring Windows. They want the most bang for their buck.

Xarph

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 12:51 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Nice, Rainwoman. Very nice.

Bonzacat

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 12:51 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Shedances -- I am always happy to hear a good word for the Mac when the news reports cover all the virus trouble(s). Rarely happens, tho, as we are such a small part of the computer-using market share! I drank the Apple Kool-Aid about 15 years ago and it just gets better and better.

My sympathies to all who have been invaded and infected this week or in week's past. Good luck, from the bottom of my heart.

Spunky

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 01:22 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I used to be a mac lover... Ah, those were the days... When are they going to make a movie of Steve and Bill...

Bonzacat

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 01:24 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Spunky -- do you remember a few years ago, I believe a TV movie with Noah Wylie as Steve Jobs? I'm sure this thread will be moved soon.....!

Xarph

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 01:25 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Spunky, they already have made that movie.

Pirates of Silicon Valley

Bonzacat

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 01:28 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
That's the one, Xarph!

Spunky

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 05:22 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Oh wow, guys, thanks, I didn't know about this movie. All I saw was a documentary on the Discovery Channel or TLC "The revenge of the Nerds.." something like that.

Notice how lately in many movies they have the apple logo on those laptops.. I was watching Bringing Down the House (with Steve Martin) and that laptop kept coming on screen, that's a good way for Apple to make some money.

This year I "donated" my last Mac (Powermac) to a school. But what fun I had with a mac!!!

Now I'm just like all the others... "they" practically forced me to switch...

Bonzacat

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 05:24 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Spunky, "they" are evil!

Gidget

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 05:28 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
For crying out loud. Hackers please leave my darn computer alone. I have to earn a living.

Pamy

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 06:54 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I got some weird emails today, I opened the email but did not open the attchment. Is it possible to get a virus from just opening the email?

Meli456

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 08:13 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I got two of these emails returned to me. Apparently, I sent it, or else they just made it look like it was something returned to me. I didn't open the attachment but I didn't delete it and my computer crashed. After I restarted, when I opened Microsoft Outlook, I got a message saying there was an error from the last message I viewed and had a link if I wanted to view the message anyways. But, I went through the steps to remove it, but when I run the software it says I don't have to worm. It says I need to disconnect from the network (I'm on a cable modem) and I don't know how to do that, so maybe that's why. Anyways, I'm with you Pamy, I can't figure out if I'm infected or not.

Pamy

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 08:40 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Draheid????

Spunky

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 08:42 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Can't you guys disable Outlook Express until September 10.. You can still use Hotmail or webmail.

Draheid

Friday, August 22, 2003 - 08:57 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Pamy: it's not likely that you would encounter a virus simply by looking at the e-mail itself. The attachment is usually where the virus is located that will cause the most problems.

Note, however, if the e-mail contains links to graphics, or other content, it is possible that opening the e-mail will 'notify' the sender that your e-mail address is valid and you could be susceptible to even more spam and garbage e-mail because of it.




Meli456: It sounds to me that you're seeing e-mails that were sent to bad address and your e-mail address was forged into it making it appear that you sent it. When it was rejected by the addressed server, the failure notice was sent to you because of the forgery. There really is no way to prevent this. You can only be aware of it and delete any of those that you get. Some e-mail servers actually include a copy of the message, and occasionally the attachments as well so please be careful about what you open.

As far as disconnecting from the internet, you could simply unplug the power connection to your cablemodem temporarily. That will then disconnect you.

Hope this helps.

Meli456

Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 12:22 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Draheid, you are AWESOME!! Thank you :)

Pamy

Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 10:09 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Thanks Dra!!! I knew you would know!! You are awesome!!

Meggieprice

Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 10:11 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Meggie runs in to say Macs Rule!!!
We have five- with a G5 on order...

Spunky

Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 10:21 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Another hint: before opening your Outlook Express program, go to your Webmail and check in there, if you see a strange email and attachment delete it from the list. You can then open Outlook.

Anyway, the worm apparently fizzled...

Alinthehouse

Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 10:42 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I have a Mac and won’t get the virus. I have been inconvenienced by the virus. I tried to make an online payment to my electric company (SCE) earlier in the week and was unable to. Computer service tech told me they were infected by the worm. Their system was soooo slow. Each page took about 5 minutes to load, only to get an error code in the end.

That night I came on this great site. I was worried it had been affected. Must have been the last episode of Amazing Race that slowed it down. Thank goodness!!

As someone mentioned earlier in the thread, virus writers will target PC’s to get the most bang for their buck. I agree, why target mac’s since they are a small percentage of user’s. But even as a mac user you still feel the effects, but thankfully not on the same level. I hope none of the clubhouse members get the virus.