[thelist] PARANOIA! (was V I R U S)

George Dillon evolt at georgedillon.com
Tue Jul 24 04:12:37 CDT 2001


Since I recently sounded an alarm about a virus which *did* come to me from
someone on this list let me clarify a few of points about viruses and this
list..

1.  NO VIRUSES FROM EVOLT.

Thanks to the efforts of .djc viral attachments cannot come from the list -
meaning they cannot come via the evolt list servers.  Attachments and html
formatted messages are filtered out... so... no viruses.

However, as nearly all viruses replicate by automatically reaping addresses
from inboxes or address books, and as any post to the list reveals your
email address, viruses can and do get sent directly from one evoltee to
another as a result of postings to this list.  (I recently received Hybris
from an evoltee - who I was able to identify and warn directly).

2.  POSSIBLE (INNOCENT) SOURCES OF D O'S's VIRII

Sircam is a new beastie, and its precise behaviour is still being
discovered, but it seems that what's new about it is the way it combines
known viral methods rather than any new mechanism.

While *most* viruses select a new address each time they are relayed (and
some select every address they find) it is possible that Daniel O Shea's
(initials? - aarghhh! ;) six 'attacks' have all come from a single instance
of the virus which, in all its automated glory, has failed to understand
Darwin and chosen to repeatedly concentrate all its efforts on him alone.

It is also possible that everything in the virus's header is forged, and
that D O'S has *actually* received the virus from six different infected
machines - the virus forging the header either on despatch therefrom or on
arrival chez D O'S.

But Daniel - as you say: "Six times in one day from the same person????" ...
apart from the extreme improbability of anyone on this list being so
immature, stupid or spiteful to deliberately send a virus to another listee,
why would they need to do so SIX times?  Does not that indicate mindless
replication rather than intentional malice?

3. VIRUSES & LIST ETIQUETTE

As I found to my surprise when I went ballistic after my first list-related
virus attack, (when I received a virus with the subject of one of my posts
but appearing to come from MYSELF!!!) alarmist virus alerts on mail list are
generally NOT appreciated.

This is a list for web professionals, and the vast majority will have
received many viruses before now, and will know how to spot and deal with
them without jumping to conclusions about who sent them.  They will probably
be aware of the circulation of any popular new virus before it actually
reaches them.

The volume of traffic on this occasion has been caused not by passing on a
valuable heads-up, but by getting people's backs up.  Putting that single
buzzword in capitals with exclamation marks and then getting stroppy about
(an)other list member(s), and including an email address but no URL for more
info about the particular strain is <form type="BAD">.

The fact is that genuine, well-written warnings get (and require) very few
responses.


HTH

George





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