Re: [Philmont]: New Sobig.F virus is flooding the net.

I would also like to take Selden's comments and segue into a related and
rapidly growing problem - spyware. These are insidious and highly
secretive programs that can literally track your every move on your
computer, and report same to a remote server. The more innocuous
versions just watch and report your website visits - but the worst
versions can literally record every keystroke, and/or download files,
email address folders, passwords, personal info (e.g., SSN's and credit
card #'s), etc.

I was stunned last week to find spyware on both my home (Scout) and work
(DEA) standalone computers. My home computer was infected by a Scout
working on his Eagle writeup (anti-virus software does NOT catch
spyware!) My work computer was infected by a coworker, while I was off
Scouting in Switzerland. How nice. I have had a devil of a time
cleaning them up, and have not yet succeeded on my home computer -
despite a week of trying.

Anyway, if your telephone icon appears to indicate activity when you're
not doing anything, you should be immediately suspicious (mine is
"talking" even as I type this). I would guess the percentage of people
needing anti-spyware software is the same as those needing anti-viral
software. You may want to be ahead of the curve on this one. One place
to start is download.com - which (interestingly enough) offers both
spyware and anti-spyware. I have no affiliation, of course.

Sorry for the (continuing) off-topic post, but I hope this saves at
least some of us some grief.

- Dr. Bob

Selden E Ball Jr wrote:
> Gentle folk,
>
> At least one person subscribing to the Philmont mailing list has
> a system infected with today's new Sobig.F virus.
> I've received several infected messages from the address
> sprint255-254.bbc.net, for example, with forged return addresses
> claiming to be from the list itself.
>
> Everyone, if you haven't already done so, please update your
> anti-virus definition files immediately and be sure you have
> "realtime protection" or the equivalent enabled.
>
> Also, it would be wise to do a full system scan, especially if you're
> using bbc.net of Hemingford Cooperative Telephone Co in Hemingford, NE.
>
> (I've lost track of all the infected messages I've received today
> from other systems.)
>
> *sigh*
>
> Selden

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Received on Tue Aug 19 22:00:51 2003