sb ©

http://insight.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020415,39116512,00.htm
The Swen virus masquerades as a new Microsoft patch - find out how to
avoid it, and what to do in the case of infection.

Yet another Internet virus pretending to be a patch from Microsoft is
spreading quickly on the Internet.
Swen (w32.swen@mm, also known as Gibe) uses the subject line to entice
Windows users to open the attachment. In some cases, the virus will
execute automatically. The virus attempts to kill all antivirus and
personal firewall apps running on the infected machine. Swen can also
travel using Kazaa, IRC, and shared network paths. Because Swen
spreads via email, IRC, P2P, and shared network files and shows signs
of spreading rapidly, this virus rates a 6 on the ZDNet Virus Meter.

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/sec...9116520,00.htm
Security experts have said that the Swen mass-mailing Windows worm
appears to be spreading quickly, moving to the top of the virus charts
a day after it first appeared -- and even maintaining its own counter
that supposedly monitors how many PCs have been infected.

geoff firman

x-no-archive: yes

is this to do with the literally HUNDREDS of emails w/ attachments i've
been getting from (apparently) microsoft over the last few days?
incredible! they've been cluttering up my computer desk top like crazy,
and they are a pain in the ass! the strangest thing is, i'm an apple
user! i don't use a single microsoft application!

geoff/

acorn

Yah, I've noticed alot of those, claiming to be a "patch" for microsoft and
it has an attachment. I have a yahoo account and find that it gets delivered
to my bulk mail folder.

sb ©

|>is this to do with the literally HUNDREDS of emails w/ attachments i've
|>been getting from (apparently) microsoft over the last few days?
|>incredible! they've been cluttering up my computer desk top like crazy,
|>and they are a pain in the ass! the strangest thing is, i'm an apple
|>user! i don't use a single microsoft application!
|>
|>geoff/

Get mailwasher, its free, use it on the account that gets the most
emails, it will delete anything you want from the server without
having to d/l the full message.

www.mailwasher.net


--
SB - x-no-archive: yes in the headers

whiskers

In uk.people.support.depression on Friday 19 Sep 2003 7:18 pm, SB ©


I've had about 250 to 300 so far today. Most of them I've deleted from the
webmail site before downloading any e-mails. I'm also quite glad that I'm
not using Windows!

--
-- ^^^^^^^^^^ Interested in Citroens?
-- Whiskers <http://www.aacit.net>
-- ~~~~~~~~~~ <news:alt.autos.citroen>

kate

I had 50 emails today but killed them all.

Kate

velvet

that explains about 70 messages in two days... Spitefully, i blamed it on


Serves the bastards right

Daria

whiskers

In uk.people.support.depression on Friday 19 Sep 2003 9:37 pm, geoff firman


Very probably. I'm using Linux, so like you I just find them a flippin'
nuisance.

People using Windows need to be careful not to open any of the attachments -
just delete the e-mails, and make sure that your anti-virus software is
bang up-to-date.

Any e-mail with the word microsoft in the 'from' box is a fake (unless you
are specifically expecting them to write to you); they certainly never send
out 'updates' or 'patches' by e-mail. Use the "Windows Update" service to
keep your system as up-to-date as possible.

--
-- ^^^^^^^^^^ Interested in Citroens?
-- Whiskers <http://www.aacit.net>
-- ~~~~~~~~~~ <news:alt.autos.citroen>

whiskers

In uk.people.support.depression on Saturday 20 Sep 2003 8:47 am, Velvet


Understandable reaction - but I've had about 1,000 of them so far, and they
simply over-whelm the filters of the webmail account that is getting most
of them. If you've only had 70 of them, perhaps your university's system
is actually catching most of them. This morning I got almost 100 in the
space of a minute.

--
-- ^^^^^^^^^^ Interested in Citroens?
-- Whiskers <http://www.aacit.net>
-- ~~~~~~~~~~ <news:alt.autos.citroen>

sb ©

|>Any e-mail with the word microsoft in the 'from' box is a fake (unless you
|>are specifically expecting them to write to you); they certainly never send
|>out 'updates' or 'patches' by e-mail. Use the "Windows Update" service to
|>keep your system as up-to-date as possible.

I have had some today that are not using Microsoft in the *from* box,
but fake email addys, not even remotely linked to Microsoft.
And I am not talking about the returns, I am talking about the
security update virus mails. I have lost track how many I have had
now.


--
SB - x-no-archive: yes in the headers