[CivilSoc] Internet "worm" alert

Wed, 25 Jul 2001 06:59:18 -0700 (PDT)

Since July 17, the Sircam worm has infected many computers around the
world and the problem seems to be growing.  Some CivilSoc
subscribers may have accidentally opened an attachment
carrying the Sircam worm; if so, your computers are now sending it
on to other names pulled from your address lists.
If you think your computer has been infected, visit this site of
Symantec for instructions about how to remove the worm:
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/[email protected]
(Thanks to the Johnson Russia List for providing this site's URL.)
The worm grabs a file from the host computer, and e-mails itself with
that document as an attachment.  The subject line varies, and the
document that it selects randomly to send out on the Internet comes
from your hard drive.  It could be confidential.  In the message area
of the e-mail you will see some text between these two lines:
First line: Hi! How are you?
Last line: See you later. Thanks
Between these two sentences, some of the following text may appear:
I send you this file in order to have your advice
I hope you can help me with this file that I send
I hope you like the file that I send you
This is the file with the information that you ask for
All of the above can also be in Spanish.
This incident is proof again of the danger of opening attachments
coming by e-mail, even when they come from somebody you know.  If in
doubt about any attachment, ask the sender of the e-mail to confirm
that the attachment received was intentionally sent by him or her.
Because of the prevalence of viruses, worms, and Trojan horses, any
of which can enter computers through attachments, CivilSoc has a
policy not to send any messages in attachment form.  We also ask any
list members submitting announcements for distribution to the list
not to try posting them as attachments, but to submit them as
ordinary text in the message area of the e-mail.
Holt Ruffin
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