Thanks to Tim Hall for identifying the Snow White message attachment as containing the virus: W32/Hybris.gen@M . When Tim and I compared notes, we discovered that the attachment he received was not the same as the file name others received.
These gen@M viruses are tricky little guys.
- They use several file names as email attachments, and not all even end the same (.scr. pif, exe are three examples of file extensions)
- They create email aliases to send themselves.
- They replicate themselves inside your computer damaging several, even hundreds of files until your applications fail.
- They were created in the later part of 2000, so old virus checkers will miss them.
For information on this virus and its relatives, you can visit <http://vil.nai.com/vil/virusSummary/> and select "Virus Alerts." This is a commercial site and they will try to get you buy their products. The information is still quite reliable.
I have taken one step that should help. Before I explain, a little background. When we started this list, we figured only fellows and friends would know about it, since it is not publicized. Also, many of us use more than one email account. So we allowed anyone who knew about the list to post to it from any address. The problem is that this virus got through, using a made-up email address. We've also seen a few spam messages get through.
*****VERY IMPORTANT***
Today, I changed who can post to the AMfellows list to only subscribers of the AMfellows list. The listserv software won't recognize you if you try to post a message from another email address, even if it is a variant of your "regular" address. Beginning today, if you post a message to the list and the system rejects it, please send a note to me at [log in to unmask] or to the address in the rejection notice you receive. In your message, include your name and email address and I will fix you up. If you want, you can also send the message you tried to post and I will post it for you while we get your address straightened out.
Thanks.
Betty Brown
AMfellows Administrator
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Elizabeth L. Brown
Automated Reference Services Librarian
National Digital Library Program, LIBN/NDL/LC(1330)
Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20540-1330
[log in to unmask] telephone: 202/707-2235
Library of Congress American Memory Home Page:
http://memory.loc.gov/
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