How to protect your computer address book from a worm virus

Enrico


Joined: 07/12/2008
Posts: 209

Message Posted:
07/09/2010 21:09

When a worm virus gets into your computer it usually heads straight for your address book and sends itself to every address in there, thus infecting all your friends. This trick will not keep the virus from getting into your computer, but it will stop it from using your computer to spread frurtherand will alert you to the fact that a virus has got into your system. Here is what you do. First open your address book and click on NEW CONTACT, just as if you were adding a new friend to your list of email addresses. In the window where you would normally type in your friends first name, type in A. For the screen name or email address, type in AAAAAAA@AAA.AAA.

The name A will be placed at the top of your address book as entry #1. This is where the worm will start, to send itself to all your friends. When it tries to send itself to AAAAAAA@AAA.AAA it will be undeliverable because of the phoney email address you have entered. If the first attempt fails, CONTINUED

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
07/09/2010 22:11

If the first attempt fails ( which it will because of the phoney address), the worm goes no further and your friends will not be infected.



The second great advantage of this method is that if the email can not be delivered, you will be notified of this in your inbox almost immediately.



Hence, if you get an email telling you that an email addressed to AAAAAAA@AAA.AAA could not be delivered, you know right away that you have a worm virus in your system and can take steps to remove it.

Harold2555



Joined: 19/04/2008
Posts: 1139

Message Posted:
07/09/2010 22:42

Just a quick note, this will work for the majority of worms, not all.



Also why did the thread start with Enrico and continue with DC

cronos


Joined: 26/10/2008
Posts: 2093

Message Posted:
07/09/2010 22:48

Harold.....or should I say Columbo ?



Well spotted !

Jetski


Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 584

Message Posted:
07/09/2010 23:45

The sockpuppets will always give themselves away eventually!

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
08/09/2010 00:17

i had one today from my daily flog, reported it as spam

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
08/09/2010 07:31

RE msg 3, Harold: (...) Also why did the thread start with Enrico and continue with DC (...)

=> The original poster Enrico had a problem continuing his post ( http://www.cyprus44.com/forums/44638.asp ).

I only tried to help him by copying his second post ( http://www.cyprus44.com/forums/44637.asp ) to make the first one complete.

I just forgot to explain this for the people who obviously don't read all posts and the people who want to write something nasty about me at all occasions. Miserable.

Honi soit qui mal y pense.

clifhanger


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 128

Message Posted:
08/09/2010 07:53

lilli is your daily flog not more spam ??

Alicat


Joined: 27/07/2010
Posts: 73

Message Posted:
08/09/2010 08:58

Go to Google and type in:

"For the screen name or email address, type in AAAAAAA@AAA.AAA."



And you will see a number of sites that believe this to be a hoax email



http://antivirus.about.com/

flutterby


Joined: 11/01/2008
Posts: 214

Message Posted:
08/09/2010 10:03

I have always had an 'aaaaa' fake address as the first email address in address book and still I had all my contacts sent a phoney email from me. :-(

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
08/09/2010 10:27

The malware, sending emails using your Address Book, will not wait for replies - all your email addresses in your Address Book will be used. aaaaa@aaaaa.com (or whatever; including obsolete email addresses) will only bounce. And that's that - harm to others done.

One of the ways to check if such malware is a "guest" on your hard drive is installing software that controls your outgoing traffic. For a Macintosh this software is called "Little Snitch", but I don't doubt it's available for PC's also.

Enrico


Joined: 07/12/2008
Posts: 209

Message Posted:
08/09/2010 10:42

Thanks to everybody that tried to help me with the continuation process.

It seems very complicated to me. It might be easier to keep future postings short.

Harold2555



Joined: 19/04/2008
Posts: 1139

Message Posted:
08/09/2010 11:00

Dutch



Thank you for your explanation and your willingness to help a board member out





Harold

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
08/09/2010 11:20

OK, Harold.

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
08/09/2010 11:29

hans - little snitch sounds good many thanks - now to find one for PC's

Spybot and Super anti spyware Should help to find malware in the mean while (only leave one running when any of you have checked with both)

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
08/09/2010 12:07

RE msg 15: Tom, you may find such "outgoing traffic control" software for PC's here (click URL): http://is.gd/f0vtU