- A Real Internet E-Mail Virus
For years I have read messages about the so-called "Good Times
Virus" that is purported to live in e-mail messages. The Good
Times Virus is a hoax; it never existed. But the story has
attained the status of an "urban legend" as tens of thousands of
gullible readers passed on messages to their friends and
acquaintances warning them to not read a message with the title of
"Good Times." I thought the subject had died out as I haven't
received any of those "warnings" for several months.
Now, a new warning has appeared about a different virus. One
difference: This warning comes from one of the most respected
virus experts in the world. This one can be believed. If you use
Microsoft Mail to read and write your e-mail messages, read this
very closely:
McAfee Associates, producers of the McAfee anti-virus programs,
has warned that a new macro virus called ShareFun.A is now
proliferating on the Internet. ShareFun.A is a macro virus that
spreads by infecting Microsoft Word 6.x and 7.x documents on
Windows and Macintosh platforms.
ShareFun.A is spread by e-mail message attachments. "If you
receive a message with the following subject or banner: 'You have
GOT to read this!' do not execute its attachment. Delete the
entire message," advises McAfee Associates.
"First, the macro virus will save a copy of itself. Then it will
check to see if you are running Microsoft Mail. If so, the virus
will find 3 random people in your mail list and send a copy of the
infected document with the following subject: "You have GOT to
read this! If Microsoft Word is launched to read this attached
file, the receiver will become infected and above process will
begin again."
Again, the only way this virus can be spread is by Microsoft Mail.
If you are not using Microsoft Mail, then you do not have to worry
about spreading the virus. However, you can still receive the
virus in a number of e-mail programs. But you won't spread it to
otehrs unless you use Microsoft Mail. Also, the virus apparently
infects only Microsoft Word documents. However, you still should
virus check all documents received as e-mail attachments,
regardless of which e-mail or word processing programs you use. I
have virus-checking programs running in the background at all
times on my PC and on my Macintosh. Do you?
For more information, see the ShareFun.A page on the McAfee Web
site at http://www.mcafee.com/support/techdocs/vinfo/v3333.html[email protected]
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