Re: FYI/action

[Kim D Merritt <kdmerri@sandia.gov>]

Although I'm sure Melissa will chastise us for discussing this I will attempt to
squash this now.  Computer viruses cannot be caught through reading e-mail.  
E-mail is a text message with no operating capabilities.  You can get one by 
opening attachments to e-mail or activating programs.  The line about your 
computer being infected by the time you read the message is a giveaway also.  A 
virus is transmitted instantaneously as soon as a file is opened.  This is at 
least what I have been told in the past by a friend who works for Microsoft as a
trouble shooting specialist so I tend to believe him.

Standard disclaimers definitely apply to this.
**********************
*Kim Merritt, RRPT   *
*Sandia Labs, NM     *
*kdmerri@sandia.gov  *
**********************

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: FYI/action
Author:  peterson@ridgefield.sdr.slb.com at hubsmtp
Date:    8/21/97 7:47 AM


Hi rad safers
this was sent to our entire organization so it might be worth consideration.
     
I hope it's a hoax but be advised!
     
Cheers
     
Carl
>>>>>>>>_________________________________ 
>>>>>>>>Subject: New Viruses!
>>>>>>>>Author:  Gary Morris at ~NT
>>>>>>>>Date:    8/15/97 12:32 PM
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>     There are several new viruses being sent via e-mail entitled: 
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>     "JOIN THE CREW"
>>>>>>>>     PENPAL GREETINGS
>>>>>>>>     "Returned or Unable to Deliver" 
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>     This information was received this morning from IBM, please 
>>>>>>>>     share it with anyone that might access the Internet.... 
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>     WARNING!!!!!!
>>>>>>>>     If you receive an e-mail titled "JOIN THE CREW" DO NOT
>>>>>>>>     open it!      It will erase EVERYTHING on your hard drive! Send 
>>>>>>>>     this letter out to as many people you can.......this is a new 
>>>>>>>>     virus and not many people know about it!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>     If anyone receives mail entitled; PENPAL GREETINGS! please 
>>>>>>>>     delete it WITHOUT reading it!!  This is a warning for all 
>>>>>>>>     Internet users - there is a dangerous virus propagating across 
>>>>>>>>     the Internet through an e-mail message entitled "PENPAL 
>>>>>>>>     GREETINGS!"....
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>     DO NOT DOWNLOAD ANY MESSAGE ENTITLED "PENPAL GREETINGS"!! 
>>>>>>>>     This message appears to be a friendly letter asking you if you 
>>>>>>>>     are interested in a penpal, but by the time you read this 
>>>>>>>>     letter, it is too late. The trojan horse  virus will have 
>>>>>>>>     already infected the boot sector of your hard drive, destroying 
>>>>>>>>     all of the data present.  It is a self-replicating virus, and 
>>>>>>>>     once the message is read, it will AUTOMATICALLY forward itself 
>>>>>>>>     to anyone who's e-mail address is present in YOUR mailbox! 
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>     This virus will DESTROY your hard drive, and holds the potential 
>>>>>>>>     to DESTROY the hard drive of anyone whose mail is in your 
>>>>>>>>     in-box, and whose mail is in their in box and so on.  If this 
>>>>>>>>     virus keeps getting passed, it has the potential to do a great 
>>>>>>>>     deal of DAMAGE to computer networks worldwide!!!!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>     Please, delete the message entitled "PENPAL GREETINGS!" as 
>>>>>>>>     soon as you see it!  And pass this message along to all of your 
>>>>>>>>     friends, relatives and the other readers of the newsgroups and 
>>>>>>>>     mailing lists which you are on so that they are not hurt by this 
>>>>>>>>     dangerous virus!!!!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>     Please pass this along to everyone you know so this can be 
>>>>>>>>     stopped. PASS THIS ON TO YOUR FRIENDS!!!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>     DO NOT open or even look at any mail that you get that says: 
>>>>>>>>     "Returned or Unable to Deliver"  This virus will attach itself 
>>>>>>>>     to your computer components and render them useless. Immediately 
>>>>>>>>     delete any mail items that says this.  AOL has said this is a 
>>>>>>>>     very dangerous virus, and there is NO remedy for it at this 
>>>>>>>>     time, Please Be Careful, And forward to all your on-line friends 
>>>>>>>>     A.S.A.P....
>>>>>>>>
>>
>
     
     
=======================================================================
     
The standard disclaimers apply to the above!
     
  Carl A. Peterson                          Schlumberger-Doll Research 
  Radiation Safety Officer                  Old Quarry Road 
  e-mail:Peterson@ridgefield.sdr.slb.com    Ridgefield, CT  06877-4108 
  Phone: (203)431-5272
  Fax:   (203)438-3819
=======================================================================