Author: Terry McCracken
Date: 10:55:27 05/16/02
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On May 16, 2002 at 12:18:54, Jeroen van Dorp wrote: >It is possible to get an idea where the message came from, but never the actual >end user. I always advice people next to using virus scanner and firewall also >to use a spamkilling program if using Outlook (Express). Myself I use >Spamkiller, but there are freeware alternatives around. > >With a program like spamkiller you can check beforehand what you will download >with your html-based mail program. If the title is dubious, if the sender is >unknown, wipe it off the mailserver. Sometimes that goes wrong - bad luck for >the other. > >With Spamkiller I can also set these kinds of messages to be deleted >automatically, so that I actually never see them. > >But returning to the above: if Spamkiller receives an infected or unwanted mail >-it won't affect your system, as it's text based - you can check the origin with >a whois (domain lookup), reply with an error message (so the originator receives >a message that your email address doesn't exists) or to the abuse address of the >provider - and filter on very specific details in the message header, based on >the used character set (e.g. Korean, from companies who are very agressive >spammers) etc. etc. > >A last reminder: 99.9% of all viruses you will receive come from people having >the faintest notion that their PC has been compromised. The chance that the >originator of the message containing the virus is the "evil one" is practically >zilch. Maybe one day you will become the staring point of a worldwide spreading >of a new virus, but statistically that chance is nearly zero. <pfhew> > >J. Thanks for the info, Jeroen! Terry P.S. I certainly hope I don't create the next virus pandemic! I try to be careful to the extreme when dealing with these nasty programmes! I always shake my head when I hear someone opening attachments from dubious sources;) Every piece of data I obtain from the net, no matter how trustworthy, whether it's a friend or a big company, I scan every programme, every file just to be certain I don't get caught or "Catch Cold":o) But there are no guarantees! I once had a dormant virus tucked safely away in a folder until one day my virus detection found it! I was definately surprized and equally glad it never entered my system! Sometimes a virus gets on your system and no virus detector will spot it as it's virtually...no pun intended, unknown. Then you update your patterns and BANG it sniffs it out! This has happened once to me and it wasn't going to spread as I keep no one in my address book and the folder was not in use, so I couldn't be affected or infected either. It's gone now of course but I do have it on CD! lol Terry
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