WARNING - Hoax Virus

[Cornishman]

You might have experienced this before, as I hear it has been going the rounds for several months.

If you get a message, probably from somebody you know, that they suspect that they have inadvertently infected your system with the virus jdbgmgr.exe (lookout for teddy bear icon) and asking you to inform everybody in your address book IGNORE IT. It is a hoax relying on you to pass it on yourself.

If you followed the instructions and deleted the file, which is part of your java debugger, you can recover it by going to
http://vil.mcafee.com/dispVirus.asp?virus_k=99436
where you will find all you need to reinstall the program to your system

Mike

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[Ohdrat]

has it re-surfaced cus I got the warning from a friend about a year ago (at least) and had to e-mail round everyone to stop peeps deleting jdbgmgr.exe .. it is most definately a hoax

If you ever get an e-mail warning of a virus check with a site like macafee or sophos who all put notices up of real and hoax worms and viruses.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Ohdrat on 08/03/2003 11:46 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Cornishman]

I guess it has gone full circle - at least once - and is starting again.

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[AndrewB]

Hoaxes like this only persist because gullible fools keep forwarding them.

 

[Cornishman]

That's a bit intolerant of the thousands people getting to grips with their first computers don't you think? No doubt many of them have subjects upon which they could call you a gullible fool, but are probably better mannered than to do so.

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[AndrewB]

If someone is new to computing then the last thing they should try to do is patch their own system and offer technical advice to others. If an inexperienced newcomer on a yacht tried doing the equivalent, he would get very short shrift, specially if that patching and advice were potentially damaging.

Hoax virus messages have caused my organisation more trouble than actual viruses which we can protect against. "Oh, I was only trying to be helpful!" My IT staff have wasted hours rebuilding systems and rescuing lost work as a result.

Maybe there was a time when people could be excused. But the proportion of badly-informed newcomers to computing is now such a small fraction compared with those people who should know better, that these messages can and should be quickly choked off.

 

[Ohdrat]

Re: - it\'s called a learning curve

... if you can't be helpful don't post!

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[Forbsie]

Andrew, computing is so very similar to sailing. We can be involved in it for years and still have so much to learn. Viruses and hoax virus messages are inevitable and just as part of the game as Windows crashing. I doubt if I've had more than 5 hours down time due to viruses in 15 years running an IT dept. Some insecure person in Brussels opened an "I Love You" message or something. No big deal. Took us a while to calm it down, but a lesson to us all. No blood, no gore, just a "Hey guys, be a little careful in future". A good salesperson will make use of a computer system but they will not rely on it. The majority of so-so salespeople will moan about the system and take up 80% of the development budget. If you know that your IT staff have wasted hours, then they need a good slapping. They've failed to gain the trust of the rest of the staff and be included in the message list that started the problem in the first place. Then they could have Replied To All "This is a hoax, please put this enclosed file back into this location." Not a big deal surely.

I doubt if the In-Crowd has reached 50% yet. There are loads of people coming into computers even now and it's the IT department that needs to cope with this, not winge about it. I've been in this game for 25 years and what I don't know about computing I could write in 6pt type on a football field. What I do know about it is that, in business, it's just a tool. If they didn't exist, we would do it some other way...and probably just as well.

There are always going to be "badly-informed newcomers". It is up to us "in the know" to pass on our experience, hopefully in a considered manner.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/forbsie?&page=1>My Project</A>

 

[John_N]

What a level-headed, tolerant, sensible and wise contribution, Forbsie. On behalf of the many thousands of incomers trying to get to grips with this (relatively) new medium, many thanks.
From a geriatric, barely computer-literate, grateful user.

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[AndrewB]

Very sensible, Forbsie, thanks.

I'm sorry if I seemed dismissive of how daunting getting to grips with a computer can be, and of the pitfalls that are out there.

It isn't being a newbie that is the problem here though, but as you point out, those who act without checking with more experienced people, when they are offered gratuitous advice.

If this thread has served to alert anyone about hoax virus warnings, and the desirability of NOT passing them on, then it may have served some small purpose.

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[l'escargot]

List of hoaxes

Have a look here for info on hoaxes:

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html>http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html</A>

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[vyv_cox]

Virus protection

Where yachting and computing do differ is that for a relatively small sum I can protect myself from all computer viruses that have been generated more than a couple of days ago. This seems to me to be an incredibly good investment, having seen what can happen to domestic and business sytems when they become infected.

Who will come up with a similar system for sailing? "No, sorry, can't allow you to turn to port here, there's a rock just over there." "Ignore that gale warning, the forecaster had a bad day and he's taking it out on yachtsmen."

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