> This is a bit off-topic but may have an effect on some. I received the > following email last night. It is concerning a virus, the 'Klez'. Long > story short, it 'falsefied' the sender address from my website. If you > have that address in your address book, and use OE or something > similiar, you might want to check to see if you have the virus. It > always takes the sender address from the address book, so someone out > there has a high probability of having the virus. I just cleaned it out > of a clients computer this last weekend, (no, they don't have the 'gts' > address!), and it is a pesky little fellow. It also seems to be on the > rise as it is a quick replicator.
This is old news. K l e z, like many worms attacks the address book used by Outlook/OE. It sends to everyone in the address book and selects one address in the book as the "send to" person, so that the computer it really came from isn't identified. If you use OE or Outlook, you can propagate the virus (send it on). If you use other email software you can still get the virus but it won't propagate through you. It does have a destructive payload. If you AV software suddenly doesn't work, you may have the virus. If you can find a file whose first 4 letters are wink*.*, then you probably have the virus. Symantec, among others makes a tool that will get rid of the virus, but then you need to scan your hard drive with UP TO DATE AV software to find out what else is infected. However, as Shawn noted it is an epidemic here in the US. I get at least 3-5 emails / week that are infected. My up-to-date copy of Norton AV stops it cold, however. Regards, Henry S. Winokur PC .HLP Computer Consulting 301-320-2104
