So you received an email warning you about a new virus ....
Imagine receiving a letter from a business colleague you had recently bumped into and shaken hands with, advising you to have your hand amputated because it may have been infected from your meeting. Ridiculous, right? So are almost all of the so-called "virus warnings" that are distributed via email by our well-meaning friends and colleagues.
Although these broadcast email warnings are usually sent with the best intentions, they are almost certainly wrong, and sometimes destructive. For example, a recent widely-distributed warning concerned a file called jdbgmgr.exe, which you are advised to locate and remove from your Windows directory. Although it is alleged to be a virus infection, it is in fact an important Java component of the operating system! Deleting it causes significant system problems.
So what should you do when you receive a "virus warning"?
Usually ... nothing at all. In every case we are aware of, the "warning" turns out to be wrong, maybe even malicious, but sent by a well-meaning colleague or friend who thinks they ar being helpful. In truth though, they are making the problem worse.
If you want to investigate the accuracy of the "warning", a great place to start is the Symantec Security Response Centre where you can do a search on the key word/s and get up-to-the-minute information.
PLEASE DON'T FORWARD ANY WARNING ON TO ANYONE UNLESS YOU HAVE SATISFIED YOURSELF THAT IS VALID !
Most importantly, you should install recognised anti-virus software, and ensure that is kept up to date. It probably doesn’t matter which “brand” you use as long as it is well supported with frequent updates. Another popular scam concerns misleading renewal notices for your registered internet domain names. There are several seemingly legitimate firms sending out official-looking “domain renewal forms”, requiring you to complete and return - along with a payment of several hundred dollars - to ensure that your domain name remains registered. If you receive such a form, forward it to us and we'll verify it and advise on the best response. Chances are it's an unethical attempt to extract money from you and should therefore be ignored.
Remember, don't believe everything you read in emails! Never delete files without checking, don't pass on unconfirmed warnings, and if in doubt... call ImageWorks!
Here's the phone number: (03) 9568 8088.
or email info@imageworks.com.au There is no charge to our clients for any of these services.
It is part of our promise to make ImageWorks ... good for business! |
