Froim the LKist Administrator: This was in Rootsweb Review this week and is worth reading carefully. Nancy 2c. KLEZ VIRUS FOOLS AND ENTICES. Genealogists are not the only ones being fooled by this relentless worm, which spoofs (forges) the "From" address. Even the U.S. State Department's e-mail identity was forged by it recently as Klez sent itself to law enforcement and media outlets across the country. Your editor and the RootsWeb HelpDesk have received hundreds of messages lately from researchers fearful that RootsWeb is sending out these worm- infested attachments. Relax. The virus is not coming from RootsWeb or via any RootsWeb mailing list (which do not allow attachments anyway). It is being sent to you privately by the infected computer (often without the owner's knowledge), with a forged "From" e-mail address and with all sorts of subjects lines, which Klez also steals. There are several ways Klez can obtain your e-mail address: --It may be in the sender's address book. --The infected computer may find an unread message from you in someone's inbox. --It may appear on a webpage that is cached on the infected computer. --It may appear in an old e-mail message that is stored on the infected computer. Depending on where Klez finds your e-mail address, it may use the subject line or copy part of a post in an attempt to appear to be a legitimate message. There is nothing your editor, the HelpDesk or anyone at RootsWeb can do to stop this. This mail does not originate with, or pass through, the RootsWeb mail servers. Your best defense is to not open any attachments you receive via e- mail, regardless of who the "From" person appears to be (use the real e-mail address of your friend or family member to inquire if they have sent you something with an attachment); keep your AntiVirus (AV) software up-to-date and use it, and set your AV program to scan all incoming e-mail or if the option is available, not to download infected mail from the server. Read more about Klez and the problems it is causing in an article by Michelle Delio in Wired News, currently available at: http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,52765,00.html Reliable information about computer viruses can be found at: http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/vinfodb.html http://dispatch.mcafee.com/virus_tips.asp?cid=1593 For a free online virus scan: http://housecall.antivirus.com/pc_housecall/ For free antivirus protection: http://www.grisoft.com/html/us_index.htm Nancy Gay Crawford MeMeC@alltel.net ************************* Always try to be Fair, Honest and Kind.