The problem is approximately 18" in front of the screen...

[lostcarpark]

Several new variants of some of the fastest spreading computer viruses have recently appeared. The interesting thing about them is that they're avoiding email virus scanners by hiding in password protected Zip archives, with instructions to open them with the password specified in the body of the message.

Now you'd think that by now users should be suspicious of viruses in attachments, and if a random stranger sends you an encrypted, password protected Zip file asking you to open it, enter the password, and run the executable inside, you might think twice about it.

But if the amount of virus email I've been getting in the last couple of days is anything to go by, it would seem that the message still isn't getting through to an awful lot of users. Network managers and administrators have been trying to drum into their users "don't open attachments", but clearly when told to do something by an email message, far too many of us will blindly follow.

We can be critical of Microsoft for leaving holes in Windows, but in this case the blame falls solidly at the feet of users (and managers for not getting through to their users).

I'm sure it won't take virus scanners long to catch up, and will learn how to find passwords in message bodies, but until the end users learn not to trust anything in an email attachment, the virus writers will always have the advantage.

Comments

[ramtops.livejournal.com]

the stupidity of lusers can never be under-estimated.

[ang-grrr.livejournal.com]

I got one of those today but it was send from the mini-air address.

The one I supidly opened at home [1] was sent from the email address of a friend. Wasn't a password one though.

Not random strangers at all.

[1] I use OE for cable mail and newsgroups

[crazysoph.livejournal.com]

Anything that arrives with attachments always is queried directly back at the sender, if I know them. Deleted without prejudice if I don't.

This is not rocket science.

*bangs head against desk*

Crazy(And you've been on the receiving end of even something as mild as sending me large picture files without warnings, I think. You were very kind in response, thank you.)Soph

[etherealfionna.livejournal.com]

I'm always loathe to blame users, because things can be complicated enough, especially when they are older: there are a lot of rules they are supposed to follow, and mainly those rules aren't explained in a way that they understand ("don't open any attachments" isn't very explanatory unless you're also told what an attachment is, and until you actually get one, you're not going to remember what it is and what you're supposed to do with it). Add to that the fact that their grandchildren might be sending them emails from accounts called "greentomato" or something, rather than a name they recognise, and that virus' can come disguised as from someone you know (the ubiquitous mail from Mary saying "Look at this!") then it isn't really that easy.

I've heard it suggested that no MS Word or Excel attachments should ever be opened, which in my opinion illustrates why users will also ignore advice from IT experts - if I get an email from my boss with a Word file attached, I'm not going to reply to him and ask him to reformat into plain text, it's unreasonable to expect people to have to do additional work in that way.

Oh, look at that: I think you touched a sore point :-)