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» Flare Sci-Fi Forums » Community » Officers' Lounge » Melissa? Don't panic! (Page 1)

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Author Topic: Melissa? Don't panic!
Baloo
Curmudgeon-in-Chief
Member # 5

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Here's the URL for the CERT Melissa virus FAQ. Armed with the truth, you'll know a little better what to do (if anything).

http://www.cert.org/tech_tips/Melissa_FAQ.html

--Baloo

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READ THIS BEFORE OPENING PACKAGE:
According to Certain Suggested Versions of the Grand Unified Theory, the Primary Particles Constituting this Product May Decay to Nothingness Within the Next Four Hundred Million Years.


Registered: Mar 1999  |  IP: Logged
Chimaera
Ex-Member


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Very informative, all except question #16, what's that about? Some connection between The Simpsons and Melissa, does anybody know what this connection supposedly is?

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"Sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you."
-Commander Riker, USS Enterprise


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TSN
I'm... from Earth.
Member # 31

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Y'know what I never figured out? When this started, the article in the newspaper said that each time the virus propagated, it sent out 50 copies of the e-mail infected. Now, who exactly is it sending to? Does it somehow manage to come up w/ 50 random e-mail addresses? I doubt it...

And there's one easy way to avoid this: Don't open attachments when you don't know what they are!

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"About as useful as a narcoleptic rickshaw driver."
-James Lileks


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deadcujo
Spectator
Member # 13

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It's amazing that so many people actually open this stuff

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The Unknown Vulcan


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Aethelwer
Frank G
Member # 36

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Pay special attention to #8.

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http://frankg.dgne.com/
Rodimus Prime: "Don't panic. Stay calm until we know what's going on. Then we'll panic."


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Elim Garak
Plain and simple
Member # 14

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How did we not know Frank would point that out...?

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"Audaces fortuna juvat."
"Fortune favours the bold."


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Aethelwer
Frank G
Member # 36

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You did know; I was just fufilling the prophecy.

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http://frankg.dgne.com/
Rodimus Prime: "Don't panic. Stay calm until we know what's going on. Then we'll panic."


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Chimaera
Ex-Member


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TSN: I heard on the news that it accesses your address book on Microsoft Outlook Express, and sends itself to those email addresses (or at least the first fifty), although I don't know if it can also use the equivalent address books of other email programs...

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"Sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you."
-Commander Riker, USS Enterprise


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Baloo
Curmudgeon-in-Chief
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Here's some more info from CIAC:

http://www.ciac.org/ciac/bulletins/j-037.shtml

From what I understand, Melissa propagates by accessing Outlook's address book and using the first 50 addys to send out copies of itself.

It doesn't do this unless you open the file. A little bit of healthy paranoia will prevent Melissa from spreading. Once you update your antivirus proggy, scan any file you receive if you plan to open it, BEFORE you open it.

You can find an excellent article by Rob Rosenberger about email viruses here: http://kumite.com/myths/opinion/emacros.htm

--Baloo

------------------
READ THIS BEFORE OPENING PACKAGE:
According to Certain Suggested Versions of the Grand Unified Theory, the Primary Particles Constituting this Product May Decay to Nothingness Within the Next Four Hundred Million Years.


Registered: Mar 1999  |  IP: Logged
Chimaera
Ex-Member


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Just heard on the news that they arrested the guy who (they believe) programmed the Melissa virus. Don't quite remember his name, but I hope they lock him up for a good while if they find him guilty.

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"Sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you."
-Commander Riker, USS Enterprise

[This message was edited by Chimaera on April 02, 1999.]


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TSN
I'm... from Earth.
Member # 31

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Yeah, I don't recall his name either, but I think they caught him in New Jersey. He's being charged w/ something like "interfering w/ public communications", which apparently carries a rather long sentence...

Oh, and if it uses Outlook's address book, doesn't that mean that it can't affect you if you don't use Outlook? That one thing suggested that, even if you don't use it, having Outlook installed would allow it to propagate. But, if you haven't got any addresses in Outlook's address book, who's it going to send itself to? *rhetorical question*

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"About as useful as a narcoleptic rickshaw driver."
-James Lileks


Registered: Mar 1999  |  IP: Logged
Charles Capps
We appreciate your concern.
It is noted and stupid.
Member # 9

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If you do not have or use Outlook 97/Express or Word 97 or above, then you're not infectable.

Just for the record - do you KNOW how they tracked him down?

I'm hearing rumors...

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"Okay, so I'm not "SANE" so to speak, but uh... I'm the lovable kind of psycho"
http://solareclipse.net/


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Xentrick
good to go
Member # 64

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David L. Smith, age 30, arrested at his brother's house in New Jersey [North Eastern USA.]

I read a posting on another board that he was tracked by MicroSoft's "Global User ID, or GUID."


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Enterprise
Member
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Smith can get, I think, 10 years in the house of many doors for it.

You all won't beieve this, but he named the virus after a topless dancer he knew in Florida.

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Brandon "Enterprise" Grasmick
Commanding Officer, USS Sovereign (NX-74222)

"Captain, the Sona crew are willing to negotiate a cease fire. It may have something to do with the fact that we have 3 minutes of air left."
-- Worf

Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges
-- In time of war the law falls silent.


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Baloo
Curmudgeon-in-Chief
Member # 5

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OOOOOOoooooooo!

I'll bet SHE's impressed!

"Golly! He named some malicious software after me? And to think I can't pick his face out from the crowd!"


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The Subatomic Particles(Electrons, Protons, etc.) Comprising This Product Are Exactly the Same in Every Measurable Respect as Those Used in the Products of Other Manufacturers, and No Claim to the Contrary May Legitimately Be Expressed or Implied.


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