[NTLUG:Discuss] Don't open "I LOVE YOU" it is a virus.. THis only applies to MS Windows machines

[Steve Baker]

"Gregory A. Edwards" wrote:
> 
> Brian Silvers wrote:
> >
> > There is a new virus going around that effects MS OUTLOOK and emails
> > everyone in your address book. I was a dumb ass and got nailed this morning.
> > I never open attachments . I was half awake this morning and got bit in the
> > ass. Sorry
> >
> > Brian
> >
> 
> Brian,
> 
> Well I make 2 dumb asses:(  I generally don't open attachments unless I
> know the sender and when I saw the sender I thought ok I can look at
> this.  Good thing I don't use Windoz:o  With that subject on this list I
> thought it might have been interesting to find out what left field
> bleachers you were comming out of:)

What I don't understand (and being a totally M$-free person - don't have to
understand) is why people leave the 'auto-execute-scripts' switch turned
on.  It seems to me that the odds of getting a document via email that
had executable stuff but *wasn't* a virus is pretty small.  So why not
just turn it off and be safe?  If it turns out (after reading it) that
it's a letter from your boss that *really* needs to - erm - reformat
your hard drive or something - surely you can go and execute the little
Visual Basic thingy once you know it's safe?

I could even understand the odd person not knowing to turn it off -
but after Melissa, why wouldn't *everyone* have gone and done that?

The press are saying that this cost a BILLION dollars!!  Dunno about
you but if I ran a big corporate M$-based IT group, I'd be going from
desk to desk throughout the company turning off that switch myself.

I'm sure there is a good reason - but I don't understand it.


-- 
Steve Baker                  http://web2.airmail.net/sjbaker1
sjbaker1 at airmail.net (home)  http://www.woodsoup.org/~sbaker
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