![]() | |
![]() | |
![]() |
Personal Technology Information |
|
![]() |
SOBIG.F Virus Promises Ill Be Back
On 21 August 2003 Symantec Security Response upgraded the W32.SOBIG.F threat to a category 4. It is the sixth version of this worm. SOBIG.F follows a computer worm known as "Blaster," or "MSBlaster," which infected at least 500,000 computers all over the world only a week ago. The "Nachi" worm which is designed to protect pcs from "Blaster" caused its own havoc including infiltrating unclassified computers on the Navy-Marine intranet and the collapse of the check-in system of Air Canada. Associated Press has stated that 1 in 17 emails sent around the world has been infected. According to Paul Wood of MessageLabs it took anti-virus companies at least 12 hours to release updated software to combat the worm. W32.Sobig.F@mm is, in fact, a worm, not a virus. This worm sends itself to every email address it finds in files with the following extensions:
The "SOBIG" worm is found in emails in your inbox with the following subject headings:
I have personally received emails with all of these subject headings on a daily basis. The body of the email simply refers you to an attached file. It is absolutely critical that you DO NOT open this attachment. It is this attachment that contains the "SOBIG" worm. The "SOBIG" worm is attached to files with the following names:
The last day on which the "SOBIG" worm will spread is 9 September, 2003. Although this means email address collection and mass-mailing will stop at that date a computer infected with the worm will still try to download updates from master servers even after this date. The worm affects Windows 95, 98, Me, Nt, 2000 and XP but leaves Unix, OS/2, Windows 3.x, Macintosh and Linux unaffected. Thankfully Symantec Security Response has created a removal tool which is free to clean an infected computer. To access Symantec's free removal tool visit: http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.sobig.f@mm.html For a free virus scan visit: http://www.stop-sign.com This past month's computer attacks follows a historical trend - virus activity surges when college students have free time on their hands in the summer. However, there is a suspicion that these kind of virus attacks may be driven by profit motives because worms such as SOBIG.F place a "trojan horse" on infected drives of unsuspecting pc owners which allows spammers to quickly distribute millions of unsolicited emails around the world. Poorly designed software is declared the main cause of increased virus activity by computer designers as software is often distributed without appropriate amounts of testing. Microsoft last year announced its intention to slow down software development so that software can be made more safe from infiltration. Regardless of the cause, here is the reality:
The spread of the SOBIG.F worm is being hailed the fastest ever. History, therefore, tells us that Sobig.G is, in fact, just around the corner, faster and stronger than each of its predecessors. As Sobig.F nears its expiry on 10 September 2003 I can almost envisage its evil grin as it declares, "I'll be back." About The Author Copyright 2003. Karin Manning. All Rights Reserved. Karin Manning is the webmistress of http://www.reprintrights4u.com and the publisher of Net Wealth, filled with up to the minute tips and techniques for growing your business online. To subscribe visit http://www.reprintrights4u.com and fill in the Newsletter Popunder on entry.
MORE RESOURCES: I Quit Google Search for AI—and I’m Not Going Back The Wall Street Journal If TikTok Is Here to Stay, What Does That Mean for Us? The New York Times TOP 10 personal tech and gadgets of 2024 Designboom The Latest Personal Tech at CES 2025- The Accounting Technology Lab Podcast - Jan. 2025 CPAPracticeAdvisor.com The Five Things You Shouldn’t Tell ChatGPT The Wall Street Journal Personal Enrichment Courses Wake Tech Newsroom Tech for Babies Is Booming. Here’s What One Parent Found Helped the Most. The New York Times Not a Coder? With A.I., Just Having an Idea Can Be Enough. The New York Times AI Solves My Most Annoying Chore: Meal Planning for a Toddler The Wall Street Journal How Workplace Tech Has Changed Over the Years, From the WSJ Archives The Wall Street Journal How Tech Created a ‘Recipe for Loneliness’ The New York Times iRobot may be iDead in iYear The Register Tech That Will Change Your Life in 2025 - WSJ The Wall Street Journal The Trouble With Searching Google for ‘the Best’ The Wall Street Journal The Snapchat Move That Leaves Teen Girls Heartbroken The Wall Street Journal When Cell Service Is Down, You Can Send iPhone Texts via Satellite The Wall Street Journal How to Create a Multimedia Digital Journal of Your Life The New York Times Office Technology Comes to the Movies: Test Your Knowledge With Our Quiz The Wall Street Journal Top 10 Personal Gadgets For Tech-Savvy Individuals Designed To Revolutionize Their Routine Yanko Design Your iPhone Storage Is Full Again. Do This to Reclaim Space. The Wall Street Journal How a Little-Known Finnish Company Became One of the World’s Hottest Gadget Startups - WSJ The Wall Street Journal Shop the best Cyber Monday deals on phones, tablets, smartwatches and more Good Morning America The 28 Best Tech Gifts of 2024, According to Our Gadget Gurus - WSJ The Wall Street Journal ChatGPT vs. Claude vs. DeepSeek: The Battle to Be My AI Work Assistant - WSJ The Wall Street Journal Tech Made Easy AARP Things to Try: Our 9 Top Tech Tips for You The Wall Street Journal Can You Turn Off Big Tech’s A.I. Tools? Sometimes, and Here’s How. The New York Times How to Make Typing Easier on the Phone and Leave the Laptop at Home The New York Times The Summer Is So Hot, Workers Are Wearing High-Tech Ice Packs The Wall Street Journal Touch Screens Are Over. Even Apple Is Bringing Back Buttons. - WSJ The Wall Street Journal Apple Intelligence Isn’t Very Smart Yet—and Apple’s OK With That - WSJ The Wall Street Journal I Replied ‘Stop’ to a Political Text Message. I Got 100 More. - WSJ The Wall Street Journal The Coolest Tech Gadgets We Recommend for 2025 BestProducts.com Wozniak: I didn't reduce chip count for manufacturing. I wanted to prove I was clever - The Register The Year Everyone Started ‘Manifesting.’ Does It Work? The Wall Street Journal Apple’s A.I. Is Landing Soon on iPhones. Here’s What It’s Like. The New York Times What the Arrival of A.I. Phones and Computers Means for Our Data The New York Times Want an iPhone 16 Review? Just Ask Joannabot The Wall Street Journal Can an App Replace a Personal Trainer? I Tested Nearly a Dozen to Find Out - The Wall Street Journal Can an App Replace a Personal Trainer? I Tested Nearly a Dozen to Find Out The Wall Street Journal Apple Watch Is Becoming Doctors’ Favorite Medical Device - WSJ The Wall Street Journal This Ring on Your Finger Tracks Your Sleep. Is It Worth the Splurge? The New York Times How to Download Your Videos and Other Data From TikTok The New York Times Apple Headset Stalls, Struggles to Attract Killer Apps in First Year The Wall Street Journal The Only App That Always Wins the Battle for Your Attention The Wall Street Journal No way? Big Tech's 'lucrative surveillance' of everyone is terrible for privacy, freedom The Register Exclusive | Wanted: Weekend Warriors in Tech The Wall Street Journal Android beefs up Bluetooth tag stalker protections The Register The Great AI Challenge: We Test Five Top Bots on Useful, Everyday Skills The Wall Street Journal Laptop makers stalled on repairability improvements The Register PC shipments stuck in neutral despite AI buzz The Register Exclusive | Google’s Gemini Live AI Sounds So Human, I Almost Forgot It Was a Bot The Wall Street Journal I’ve Been Driving an EV for a Year. I Have Only One Regret. - WSJ The Wall Street Journal Why You Might Suddenly Be Following Trump on Instagram and Facebook The New York Times Running Your Household Is a Second Job, but It Doesn’t Have to Be The Wall Street Journal |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
RELATED ARTICLES
2 PC Annoyances and How To Solve Them! I have a love-hate relationship with my computer.In fact, often I love to hate my computer!It will do things I know even the great Mr. Your Computer Cant Keep Time A computer needs a certain amount of information to operate; for example, the date and time, the amount of memory installed, the number of drives and their configuration, and so on. In the early days of computers, either the user typed in this information each time the computer started, or it was set using DIP switches and jumpers. Top 9 Ways To Speed Up Your Surfing & Computing It seems like fast never quite rates fast enough.No matter how quickly something moves, especially on theInternet, it could always move faster. PC Tools Youd Never Think You Need Do you use Windows standard uninstall feature? How do you migrate data from your old PC to the new one? Get some tips on amazing software you never knew existed and find out why the pros have been using them for years.Ashampoo UnInstaller SuiteThe question is, why should this be necessary at all? Why do you need a special program? Why can't you just delete an application in the same way you can delete a file? The full answer to this question could fill a book. Bluetooth Technology: Tips for Buying Headsets or Headphones The technological horizon has always got something new to offer, and among the most recent of these offerings is Bluetooth enhanced hardware. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this latest-and-greatest technology, headsets and headphones in the Bluetooth line offer the ability to use your cell phone without the need for hands or dangling wires. Three Things You Can Do to Keep Your Computer Running at Maximum Performance Although there are many things that can affect the performance of your computer, there are a few simply things you can do each month to help keep your computer running at maximum performance. This article will focus on two problems that impact the performance of your computer and will then explain what you can do about it. Cut Through the Hype and Make the Right Digital Camera Comparisons There are soooo many choices. With all the styles and features, and prices are all over the map, digital camera comparisons can be mind-boggling. How Does My PC Get Hot There are many sources of heat that can raise the temperature in your PC. No, I'm not talking about the Tabasco sauce you dripped over your keyboard when you ate that bowl of chili at your desk, and no, I'm not talking about that Pamela Anderson (or Ricky Martin poster, depending on your taste) above your desk. Home Video? Bring it On So you got yourself a digital camcorder. If you want to be able to edit and produce awesome home videos, you'll need some tools. Connect Your IPAQ to Linux Choose Not To ConformPalm pilots and pdas are constantly growing in the ways that people use them in their everyday lives. Having a pocket pc is becoming the standard rather than the exception. Dont Let the Internet Overstimulate Your Mind The Internet is an awesome tool, but be careful and aware that the cloud of over stimulation doesn't invade your mind.It seems we have to become aware of a new problem that is starting to invade our modern, industrial society, that being the problem of over stimulation. Help, I Need a New HDTV! (Part 1 of 5) Feeling overwhelmed in selecting a new TV? With all the choices these days, you may feel like, "Where do I start?!"In part 1 of our 5 part article, we discuss the importance (and a quick rule of thumb!) of selecting a screen size appropriate for your space.---Selecting the correct size TV is an important part of your purchase decision. Is Digital Camera Technology Making Film Obsolete? Perhaps not yet, but the handwriting might be on the wall?How is a digital camera different from a film camera? What are pixels and why are they important? What's the difference between optical and digital zoom? What advantages do digital cameras have compared to film cameras? Let's address these and other questions as we discuss digital camera technology.First a short history and overview of digital imaging?The technology began with television in the early 1950's when researchers discovered how to convert video images to electrical signals for storage on magnetic tape. Got Virus? GOT VIRUS? Your Data is NOT lost forever!In the wake of so many computer viruses running wild, "Hope is not lost"!With the recent release of such viruses as: mydoom; netsky; mofei, lovegate and many more destructive viruses, there is an affordable solution to recover your lost files from your hard drive.Selecting a Data Recovery Service Company can be a challenging and confusing undertaking to say the least. Make Windows XP Run Faster! A friend told me: "My computer startup seems to be taking a long time. And when the hard disk finally stops churning, everything just seems slower than when it was new. Cisco CCNA / CCNP Certification: OSPF ASBRs Explained And Illustrated When I first started studying for my CCNP, some of the concepts of OSPF really confused me. This was especially true for the ASBR, stub areas, and total stub areas. How To Recognize The Telltale Signs Of Spyware Spyware is the software that collects information aboutyour online activities and preferences. The information isthen sent to another computer with the intention of sellingit to online advertisers. Some Thoughts on Choosing a Flash MP3 Player Flash mp3 players come with an exciting array of features, and can be used for more than playing music while you cycle at the gym. Here are some things to think about when purchasing a flash mp3 player, which might make the difference between your choice becoming an indispensable tool, or just another gadget. How Do MP3 Players Work? Digital Audio Technology Revolutionizes Music Enjoyment Millions have enjoyed recorded music since 1877 when Thomas Edison invented the phonograph. Then came radio, records, tapes and CD's. Passwords and the Human Factor Passwords have a strange dual nature. The stronger and safer the password the more likely it will be undermined by human weakness. ![]() |
home | site map |
© 2006 |