Benjamin Petersen wrote:
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: pic microcontroller discussion list
> > [mailto:PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU]On Behalf Of Paul B. Webster VK2BZC
> > Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 1999 2:25 PM
> > To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
> > Subject: Re: Serious complaint about VIRUS ATTACHMENT (way [OT])
> >
> > >> ** WARNING! Attached file Happy99.exe contains:
> > >>      TROJ_SKA virus
> > >>    Attempted to clean the file but it is not cleanable.
> >
> >   *That* gives me a giggle!  The .exe file is the *whole* virus.
> > Naturally you cannot clean it and leave anything!
>
> well, how about an empty file ;-)
>
> c:\>dir
> Not_So_Happy99.exe date 1-1-1999 size 0 byte(s)
>
> Regards
> Benjamin Petersen

  Arrgh, you folks sure are characters <G>

  To address the original senders' concerns:

  The victims of the Happy99.exe virus have no choice but to send that
worm to everyone in their address book;  That's what the worm DOES.
When they start to send an e-mail message, it auto-sends itself to
everyone they know.  (One GOOD argument for external modems, and for
Win4WG 3.11, I say <G>)  Trick is to not run that program & become a
victim.

  Jory & I would love to be able to scan the list messages for that
little monster & clean it - we don't have the ability to choose that,
though, that sort of decision is made by the hardware & software
configuration people at MIT, Jory & I 'merely' issue commands to the
software running ON that hardware.  I'm not sure they have budget to add
the processor power necessary to catch such virus attachments from going
to this or any of the (Thousands?) of other lists they host, Jory would
know more, perhaps.

  I get that worm about twice a week from another mailing list I'm on,
and at least weekly from another list - Sad but true.  So long as people
are foolish enough to run it, that worm will stay around.  On the
Internet, the "consumer" has to act intelligently & scan for potential
problems - as you're doing - THAT, plus only running executables that
you've ASKED someone for & where they've then told you that they're
sending it, and you trust the sender with your wallet & your wife =), is
the only way to even remotely be safe when running an executable you've
received in e-mail.  "I don't stick random sharp objects found on the
street on 1st Avenue in downtown Seattle into my body, and I don't run
unknown executables on my desktop", to paraphrase a friend  <G>

  Mark