See thats why there is this thing called patching.

No firewall, no AV, 3x win3k computers, perminant connection, no viruses.
Ever.
(and yes I run symantecs AV over them oence a month or so)


----- Original Message -----
From: "Jon Jenkins" <jjenkins@STAFF.BOND.EDU.AU>
To: <PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
Sent: Monday, August 25, 2003 12:33 PM
Subject: Re: [OT:] WARNING: Dangerous PIF attachement in email from PIC list


> --On Sunday, August 24, 2003 9:32 PM -0400 Olin Lathrop
> <olin_piclist@EMBEDINC.COM> wrote:
>
> >>> What's the big deal?  Just don't open unexpected attachments.
> >>
> >> 0: because it looks very genuine
> >
> > A genuine what?  Any .PIF attachment is pretty much guaranteed to be a
> > virus.  Just don't open attachments unless they are a file type that
can't
> > hurt you (like .JPG, .GIF, .TXT, etc).  A .PIF definitely CAN hurt you,
> > which is about the only reason they are sent via email.
>
> This was not easily spotted, original email
> headers looked like a genuine "undeliverables".
>
> Further the PIF was hidden inside another
> attachment. Because I am a curious character I wanted to see
> what the exe would so I tried to rename it to something
> not dangerous and voila it added a .PIF onto the end
> no matter what I named it to. Interesting code this one
> wiped the boot sector from your disk.
>
> I thought this was worth warning the LIST about seeing as
> it came through the LISTs email server.
>
> If I get another one like this which comes through
> the LISTs email server then I will do exactly the
> same.
>
> >
> >> 1: because it is not detected by latest virus scanner
> >
> > Virus scanners are worse than useless because of exactly this excuse.
At
> > best, they can only tell you about viruses they already know about.  At
> > worst they let a variant slip thru, mess up your system, and give you a
> > false sense of security.
>
> Rubbish! I am connected 24/7 and run both a firewall and AV scanner. If
> you are forced to use Windows then you need this. I have been
> saved several times and would have been trashed numerous times
> over if not for this.
>
> > I guess they are better than nothing for complete idiots, but common
sense
> > is far better than any virus scanner.
>
> Have to disagree with this, numerous sites have both malicious
> Java and JS code in them and there are so many holes in
> all of the browsers that all the common sense in the
> world can't stop them.
>
> I work at a university where I am exposed to hundreds
> of viruses especially around exam/assignment time.
> Further I don't have the luxury to delete an email
> because simply because it looks suspicious so its a
> no brainer that I need to be careful.
>
>
> >> 2: because if you use MS outlook or outlook express
> >>    it will be opened and run automatically!
> >
> > No, it won't.  You have to take explicit action to "open" an attachment.
> > MSO/E does display the contents of some types of image file attachments
in
> > line, but these image files only contain data and no executable
> > information and are therefore safe.
>
> Yes it will...if like most pepople you have the "preview pane"
> open then attachments will get run or at least they used to
> when I gave up on Outlook a year or so ago.
>
>
> > I get about 3-5 viruses per week, and frankly they're pretty easy to
spot.
>
> Real men don't eat quiche :-)
>
> jon
>
> --
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