Eileen Irwin wrote: > > ATTENTION LIST: VIRUS/WORM > ATTENTION: Jim Turner jnturner@gte.net > > I responded to a query from Jim Turner titled: Changing County > Boundaries in 1866. My response was to this list and also personnally > to Jim. On Tuesday, December 22 I received a reply directly from Jim. > This reply contained 2 attachments. One of these attachments was titled > pirate.exe. > > pirate.exe is a virus, sub-type worm This virus randomly selects a name > and attaches to an e-mail. Some of these names are: baby.exe; bboy.exe; > boss.exe; casper.exe; chestburst.exe; cooler1.exe; cooler3.exe; > copier.exe; cupid2.exe; farter.exe; fborfw.exe; goal.exe; goal1.exe > (this is goal with a numeral 1); g-zilla.exe; irngiant.exe; hog.exe; > monica.exe; panther.exe; panthr.exe; party.exe; pirate.exe; s.exe; > saddam.exe; theobbq.exe; and video.exe. > > This information was obtained from > http://vil.mcafee.com/vil/wm10475.asp. > > Jim, if you are still reading this list, please clean your system to > prevent further contaminating others. > > Thanks > Eileen Irwin > Mesa, AZ For Eileen Irwin and everyone else subscribed to the PAFOREST mailing list-- Someone on this mailing list probably has an infected computer but it is not me. This is a well known worm/virus that is sweeping through the internet right now. Tim Pierce, the lead systems administrator of RootsWeb, sent out a message to all listowners a couple of weeks ago, warning of this particular virus. The way the virus works is by forging the return address to make it look like it was sent by someone other than the real sender. In this manner, it tricks the recipient into thinking it is safe to open the attachment because it appears to be from a known and trusted source. Once you open the attachment, the virus then gets into your address and mail files, and sends out a message to everyone in your address book, using the false return address and a subject taken from a real message recently received from that address. It was in this manner that you received a message that appeared to be from me, Eileen, but it was not. I have not even sent you a message recently. I am an experienced computer user and practice "safe computing." I am also a professional genealogist and communicate widely on the Internet. I am a listowner for two Rootsweb mailing lists and a webmaster for several genealogically related web sites. I regret that the implication has been broadcast over this mailing list that I have carelessly or maliciously contributed to the spread of a virus. I can assure all who may be exchanging messages with me that I am not the guilty party. But, from the information in Eileen's message, it appears that someone on the list does have an infected computer and is unknowingly spreading the virus. In the environment we are in, everyone on the Internet should have an anti-virus program, run it daily, and religiously download updates to it. And do not open an e-mail message attachment until you check with the person who appears to have sent it, to be sure that it is genuine. Jim Turner