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Be wise
If you are asked to forward an email to everyone you know; however strongly you feel about the subject, check it out first.
Virus Alerts
The small print: Information on this site is provided in good faith to minimise the effect of virus hoaxes and viruses. Links are to organisations believed to be reputable. However it is up to the visitor to satisfy him/herself of the validity of information given. The owner of Web-Wright can accept no responsibility for contents of other organisations' websites, or for loss, direct or consequential, following a visitor's action, or lack of action, after visiting this site.
Viruses and Hoaxes
If you get an email asking you to forward it to everybody in your email address book, it's probably a hoax or scam. Check here first.
This page links to virus experts
> Virus Hoaxes | > Other Scams | > Real Viruses
Hoaxes
Honest people who would destroy a virus and not pass it on are being duped by tricksters to send out email to all and sundry warning of non-existent "viruses". The same people are being persuaded to delete system files from their computer, having been told by a trickster that they are viruses.
If you get a mail warning you of a virus, come here first and check if it's a hoax. Put this URL in your bookmarks or favourites:
http://www.web-wright.net/virus.html
Rule of Thumb: If you get an email saying there's a deadly virus, 'quotes' a major company like Microsoft or IBM and urges you to tell everyone you know about it, it's very likely a hoax.
Scams
There are some scams going around the net which aren't virus-related, but are just as annoying.
- They are not going to destroy the Brazilian rainforest,
- That child does not want to receive thousands of emails.
- Nobody's going to transfer huge sums into your bank account.
To check out scams, visit
http://www.scambusters.org
or
http://www.snopes.com
Viruses
In case you didn't already know, a virus is piece of computer code which replicates itself. without you knowing. The
code could just cause your computer to beep unexpectedly, or it could erase everything on your hard disk. Or it could do something in-between.
Trojan Horses are sometimes classed as viruses, although strictly they are not because they do not self-replicate. They are programs that get onto your computer and are triggered do some mischief at a predetermined time or event.
Not only is it recommended that you have a virus killing program on your computer, you must keep it up to date because new viruses are discovered every day. As new viruses are discovered, anti-virus companies create an antidote and make it available to their customers online. Make sure you update at least weekly. Check every disk you put into your computer and every file you download.
Another useful piece of advice is to back up often.
Here are some manufacturers of anti-virus software:
McAfee
Norton Anti-Virus
Sophos
AVG
Computer Associates
Panda
For more information on viruses, check the links above.
Hoax list
The latest hoaxes (info courtesy of Sophos):
Sites with information on virus hoaxes:
Some of the above sites will also have access to information on real viruses.
| Read the Sophos fact sheet on myths and hoaxes, published on this site |
And if you're a lover of do-it-yourself, this page from IBM will tell you How to spot a virus hoax