Jack. Problem here, please read.

[Ben26]

Jack,
I just recieved an email from the Ukrainian branch of Firstdream telling me that I had sent them two emails with viruses.  I have no clue how this happened since I have never sent an email to their address, and only ever corresponded with you at your nunya address.  The last time I sent you an email was when you asked me to be a reference for you site, quite some time ago.  I downloaded the newest virus definitions and scanned my entire computer with them.  The program said there were no viruses on my computer.  However, I am not sending you an email now, and am writing you this message here because I do *not* want to spread a virus to your account too if I have one.  

I did receive an email for the first time the other day from someone interested in your business.  Is it possible that this person took my reply to him and added some kind of virus to it and sent it to your Ukrainian branch?  I am at a loss since I have not received any emails with attachments lately, and I think that is the only way to transmit a virus...

You may email me if you want to risk it and get the email address of the person who asked about your company.

Ben26 (maximuspso@nospam.com)

[BarryM]

... in response to Jack.  Problem here, please read., posted by Ben26 on Feb 5, 2002

nt

[Clay]

... in response to Jack.  Problem here, please read., posted by Ben26 on Feb 5, 2002

Viruses are getting more complex and devious everyday.  There are a lot of exploits in Outlook Express that these guys take advantage of, so an attachment is no longer a necessary ingredient.  You can even get them by simply surfing to infected sites!  In addition to updating your Definition files, make sure you have the latest scan engine installed, and enable Heuristics scanning.  Also update your windows version with ALL of Microsofts Security Updates - there are holes in the OS as well.  Then scan again.

If you only use the Yahoo email account, then you have an entirely different sitiation altogether.  A lot of people use Yahoo to spam the world (I get so much crud from them it's unbeleivable), they route through the Yahoo mail server, and the Ukrainian agency may have received something with your username attached which is totally unrelated to any other correspondence you may be engaged in (IE, they may have been solicited for porn using your username@Yahoo).  Not much you can do about it in that case, Yahoo is the problem there - not you.

Outlook has a tendency to build an Address book for you, and will put contacts in for people who have sent you multiple emails.  You might have the address, even if you never replied to such emails.  The trick there is whether or not anyone else you have in your contact list is getting infected garbage from you.  As for the person who expressed interest in Jack's business, it would be a very deliberate hacking effort to send your reply out in this fashion without the true source email address appearing somewhere in the email.

Get yourself doublechecked, and then maybe between you and Jack you can figure out the nature and content of the email they received, and go from there...

Assuming either of you give a whif...  It could be purely coincidental, or directly tied to all the personal attacks Jack has been experiencing lately...

A few unsolicited thoughts, do with them as you will.

Clay  

[Ben26]

... in response to Re: Jack.  Problem here, please read., posted by Clay on Feb 5, 2002

Thanks Clay.  I'm using Trend PC-Cillin 2000 as my antivirus program.  It came with my motherboard.  The only email I use on the net for messageboards, etc., is my Yahoo email account.  I'll try to update Windows.  Do I just do an update, or do I need to download specific patches?  Thanks for you help.
Ben26

[Patrick]

... in response to Re: Re: Jack.  Problem here, please read..., posted by Ben26 on Feb 5, 2002

I'm not familiar with "PC-Cillin", but if your mother board manufacturer supplied it, I would suspect it's probably just a boot sector virus scanner.  You should get one of the big name virus scanning programs.  McAfee, Norton, etc.  They not only supply the virus scanning software, but they also issue virus definition file updates to allow you to stay up-to-date on all the new viruses that are continously being created.

[BarryM]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Jack.  Problem here, please ..., posted by Patrick on Feb 5, 2002

I've seen problems with both Norton 2002 AV and the latest McAfee when installing them for the first time on Windows 98 and Windows ME. If you have an existing Norton AV, then 2002 is not a problem. If you have an existing McAfee VS, then the new verion is not a problem. Only when none or a different anti-virus is installed do you have problems. On the McAfee, it is when you update it to the new virus definitions is that it crashes.

They seemed to rush to market to jump on the Windows XP bandwagon.

You may not experience the same problems, but I've seen it on 7 different systems recently.

Good night. The trolls can have it for a while. I'm going to bed.

-blm

[Richard]

... in response to The latest Norton and McAfee have some p..., posted by BarryM on Feb 5, 2002

And what are those of us who are experiencing this problem to do?

Patrick:  I know this is off topic, but I'm hoping you will let it slide as I may not be the only one in this position on the board.  It should be easier for Barry to answer once instead of many times.

[BarryM]

... in response to Re: The latest Norton and McAfee have so..., posted by Richard on Feb 6, 2002

I solve it by installed the previous version and updating. That seems to work. Also, McAfee screws up the video on the Freecell game for some reason. I don't know why. McAfee seems to have a problem with running in autoexec.bat when booting. It makes more passes now for the purpose of finding stealth viruses. It places itself in the autoexec.bat in the wrong place or several times. You need to uninstall Norton before you install McAfee even though they appear to work together. They don't and is hangs the system. Many brand name computers come with McAfee installed and it's usually not a problem when installing the new version. Also, the new version has a firewall and if you are using another firewall I'd uninstall that feature. Sometimes installing the firewall blocks your internet access... A real stupid feature for an anti-virus program.

Norton 2002 tends to screw up your email by placing itself as the email host. The problem is that sometimes Norton can't access or login to the email. Also it is a problem with multiple email accounts. Norton also has some firewall features but I always turn them off. I work with other firewall products and I try not to mess with Norton. You have to make sure McAfee in uninstalled before you install Norton. Norton is also very instrusive on your operating system and tends to slow down your nice fast Pentium 4 2Ghz to about Pentium III 500Mhz speed. What a bummer.

I'm using McAfee right now. The best anti-virus system IMO is Network Associates(McAfee) Total Virus Defense. This is a corporate platform for networks. Installations and upgrades on a mass scale are a breeze. Much better than Norton Corporate Edition.

-blm

[Jack]

... in response to Re: Re: Jack.  Problem here, please read..., posted by Ben26 on Feb 5, 2002

.

[Jack]

... in response to Jack.  Problem here, please read., posted by Ben26 on Feb 5, 2002

Thanks for the heads up Ben!

I have virus's sent to me often by competitors, so all our offices have virus protection.

You do what you need to do to take care of your computer!

[tim360z]

... in response to Ben, thanks!, posted by Jack on Feb 5, 2002

emails inquiring about you.  Both USA based and FSU.  1,  I am sure contained a virus, 29KB.exe.  Delete.  Ones handle was Dmitri and the other Patrick.

[Ben26]

... in response to And Jack,  I too have received a couple, posted by tim360z on Feb 5, 2002

The email I got yesterday was from a "Patrick" as well.

[Jack]

... in response to Re: And Jack,  I too have received a cou..., posted by Ben26 on Feb 5, 2002

I hope all you guys will get an anti-virus program and not open any attachment, or e-mail, from anyone you don't know.

Seems to me that they are using the name Patrick hoping guys from Planet-Love might think it is Patrick and thus open the virus.

[tim360z]

... in response to Ben, thanks!, posted by Jack on Feb 5, 2002

your virus scanner is up to date you are probably Ok.  Its probably a Russkie Agency rus.

[Ben26]

... in response to Ben, thanks!, posted by Jack on Feb 5, 2002

Jack,
no prob.  I don't know what to do since my virus detection program doesn't detect anything and my computer is running fine.  I guess I'll just leave everything alone for now.  Please let me know if your company receives any more suspicious emails from my address.  I might have to delete that address altogher and get a new one.
Ben26