Latest (real) Virus

[Nat & Richard <trailride@foothill.net>]

This one is being called Worm.ExploreZip and it propagates much like the Happy99
virus we've seen a bit of on Ridecamp for the past several months.  

If you read the email there is no problem, but IF (AND ONLY IF) YOU RUN THE
ATTACHED FILE, called "zipped_files.exe", it lodges a program in your system
that does two things: 

1) it sends an innocent-looking response to every email you receive with a copy
of the .exe file attached, just like the one you just read,

      "Hi  (Your Name)!
      "I received your email and I shall send you a reply ASAP.
      "Till then, take a look at the attached zipped docs.
      "Bye"

2) It searches your hard drive and all other accessible drives (if you are on a
network) and changes the size of various files to zero, in effect erasing them.
Affected files are of type .doc, .xls, .ppt and a few others.  In other words,
your data files.

This is the kind of destructive behavior that most of the virus hoaxes have
always threatened, but here again, the simple defense is DON'T RUN AN EMAIL
ATTACHMENT UNLESS YOU **KNOW** WHAT IT IS!!! 

For more detail about this virus, see:

   http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2273659,00.html


Best policy is to log off and go riding, instead.

/richard

-- 
  Natalie's Barn & Breakfast -- a B&B for Horses ...and their Riders
  http://www.natbarn.com   530-637-4644  or TOLL FREE: 1-877-NATBARN


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=