Chain mail/virus in e-mails

Spreading of real virus through e-mail

To protect yourself against viruses from e-mails, you should not execute files you have been sent as attachments unless you know what they are. I.e. filenames that end with .EXE are programs, and could easily contain viruses. Word-documents and other documents can contain macro-viruses. Always have an Anti-virus program installed. Students and employees can use F-Secure Anti-Virus. You can get F-Secure from Orakeltjenesten or download it from Progdist. Using such a program will identify and neutralize the threat before it becomes a problem.

Warnings concerning viruses through mail

Warnings concerning different virus have been traversing the net for years, spreading through e-mail, so-called hoaxes. The messages often contain many big words concerning what this virus does, how to spot them and why your computer will be infected. Included is also a plea to forward this "valuable" information to your friends and colleagues before it's too late.

This is just trickery, still people receiving these messages gets scared and pass it on, adding to the lifespan of the hoax. The virus itself is often just fiction.

Characteristics for fake warnings like the ones mentioned

• The sender imposes as a known producer of anti-virus software or similar software.
• The warning concerns a new, till now undiscovered virus
• Instructs you that the virus will infect if you open an e-mail with a certain title (subject), like "You have to delete the message without opening it"
• Contains information on what the virus will do to your computer, often things that are not technically possible (physical damage to your computer or hardware and so on)
• Asks you to pass on the information to everyone you know
• Written in English, often with UPPERCASE LETTERS and with many exclamation marks.

If the message contains many of these elements, you can be pretty sure you don't have to take it seriously. The important part though is that you should never forward such messages unless you are 100% sure they are authentic. Check the links below if you are unsure.

Other chain mails

There are also various other hoax on the net, not directly related to virus. These often concern money, "MAKE MONEY FAST", pyramid games and so on. Games like these are illegal, does very seldom give any kind of profit and therefore is unwanted as e-mail. Most e-mail users consider these a nuisance and the spreading of these activities also participate to overload e-mail servers.

Spam

If you type your e-mail address into web pages, join mailing lists, post at news-groups, have your address registered at web services and so on, you put yourself in danger of receiving advertisements. These ae often requests from complete strangers asking you to buy something, support charity or asking you to browse their website. Such advertisements (called spam) are unwanted, and you often cannot complain to the sender as they use fake addresses.

There are various methods for reducing the amount of spam you receive, take a look at this page or filtration of e-mail

External resources concerned with chain mails

• F-Secure
• Symantec
• McAfee
• Hoaxbusters