Is your PC and Software behaving strangly??
You may have picked up a nasty Virus.
Here I will try to keep up with the latest news and disinfectants to keep the Bicknells one step ahead.
Thin Rule
Here are some links to the main Anti Virus software resources.

Latest Virus News :- Updated weekly by the Webmaster from information on Dr Solomon's Site
Virus Central Dr Solomon's - Search for info on any Virus by Name.
McAfee Antivirus image   Virus Information Library McAfee's Virus library.
VirusTools Microsoft MVtools
AntiVirus Online IBM's own site

 

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A Note on Hoax Viruses-

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To receive virus alert information 'as it happens', subscribe to Dr Solomon's FREE Virus-Alert mailing list.

22nd July 1998 Trojan Alert APSTrojanT
6th July 1998 Virus Alert Win32/Marburg
2nd July 1998 Virus Alert Win32/CIH
18th June 1998 Virus Alert W97M/Groov.a, W97M/Groov.b
10th June 1998 Virus Alert WM/Copycap
3rd June 1998 Trojan Advisory Windows Dial-up Networking Password Stealing Trojan Horse
8th May 1998 Virus Alert WM/Colors.ca
8th May 1998 Virus Alert W97M/Wazzu.du
8th May 1998 Virus Alert WM/MDMA.be
8th May 1998 Virus Alert XM/Laroux.bp, X97M/Laroux.bp
6th May 1998 Macintosh Worm Alert Autostart 9805
6th April 1998 Virus Advisory A97M/Accessiv
19th February 1998 Virus Alert Win32/Semisoft
4th February 1998 Virus Advisory XF/Paix
2nd February 1998 Virus Alert WM/Wazzu.do, W97M/Wazzu.do
29th January 1998 Virus Advisory Redteam
16th January 1998 Virus Alert WM/Inexist

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"Share Fun"

The virus is called "Share Fun" and is transmitted via e-mails with the subject of "You have GOT to read this!".
If you do get a message with this subject you are advised to delete it immediately.
If you have already opened it, IBMAV will detect and eradicate it.

    However, it is not the message itself which causes the virus (such a thing is technically unfeasible) but the attached Word document.

It is, as you might now have gathered, a new Word Macro virus.
It is both a WORM and a VIRUS in that it will replicate itself and e-mail itself to other users, unbeknownst to the originator!!

The mechanism used to transmit the virus is Microsoft Mail.
It is not currently known if Exchange Mail will automatically transmit the virus, but care should be taken.

Here is how it works:-
You receive an e-mail message with the subject of "You have GOT to read this!"
When you open the attached file, a virus similar to the Concept or Wazoo viruses attaches itself to your Word program infecting every future document you open.
Additionally, it will search your hard disk for Microsoft Mail, select three e-mail addresses and forward the message, in your name. Insidious.

What to do:
1. If you receive a message with "You have GOT to read this!" as the subject line, immediately delete the message.
Do not open it.
This is a particularly nasty virus that knows all the tricks of being able to open the file to examine the virus code.
It will get you if you try to open it by any means.
2. If you get infected, delete the file NORMAL.DOT in your Word directory.
For most users this will probably be c:\msoffice\winword.
When Word starts up it looks for this file and will recreate it if it is missing.
All macro viruses infect the NORMAL.DOT file.
Deleting it will remove the immediate effect of the virus.

If you have customised your NORMAL.DOT the best course of action is to make a copy called NORMAL.BAK and keep it safe to rename to NORMAL.DOT if required following an infection.
DO THIS NOW! if you have a customised NORMAL.DAT

* This internet warning was brought to you by "The Great Brit" *
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Advisory From Dr Solomon's
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THE AOL4FREE HOAX AND THE AOL4FREE.COM TROJAN HORSE
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Recently there has been a lot of confusion regarding "AOL4FREE".
The confusion has been generated by two separate events:

1.The distribution of an AOL4FREE hoax message, which was spread via email and usenet newsgroups.
Other hoaxes include Good Times, Irina, and PenPal Greetings.

2.The distribution of a genuine AOL4FREE.COM trojan horse program which was spread a few weeks later.

THE HOAX MESSAGE
----------------
The original hoax message which was sent via email claimed there was an email being distributed with the subject line "aol4free.com". The hoax went on to claim that "within seconds of opening [the email] a window appeared and began to display my files that were being deleted".

Like other hoaxes it is important to point out that a user cannot be infected or damaged simply by the subject line of an email. An executable attachment to an email will not 'run' automatically. Like other hoaxes this message should not be taken at face value. An article all about virus hoaxes can be read at our website: http://www.drsolomon.com/vircen/hoax.html

THE AOL4FREE.COM TROJAN HORSE
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The AOL4FREE.COM trojan horse displays a message listing the directories on your hard drive it is deleting and may be followed by an obscene message.

A Trojan Horse is a program that deliberately does unpleasant things, as well as (or instead of) its declared function. They are not capable of spreading themselves and rely on users copying them. Because trojan horses do not replicate they are not viruses and are not frequently encountered.

It seems highly likely that this trojan horse was written as a response to the original hoax warning in an attempt to confuse computer users.

Please note: it does not attack users via use of the subject line of the email. The only way users can be damaged by this trojan is (like any other trojan) if they decide to run it.

We do not believe this trojan horse is particularly common.

We have an extra driver available to add detection of this trojan horse to Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit. To download this free driver, go to http://www.drsolomon.com/vircen/aol4free.html