Viruses II

There's been another round of viruses in Nipomo. This one was called Klez. It arrives as an attachment to an e-mail with a random subject line and false return address. It first attempts to disable your anti-virus program. Then it sends out e-mail messages to addresses found on your machine. Finally on the 6th of every odd numbered month (May, July, September…) it overwrites your files.

Most of us were protected by our Anti-Virus Program and interestingly enough, Klez actually hurt people more than computers because it mailed itself from infected machines using a bogus "From" address. Klez appeared to have been sent by someone trustworthy (such as me). Recipients, not understanding that the "From" information is phony then turned angry and proceeded to clog the Internet with heated (albeit wrong) e-mails.

Most of us were safe, because our anti-virus program alerted us. Macintosh users were safest of all, since they were immune to Klez. But some of us found the virus afterwards during a scan. We thought it was fixed, but Klez left files un-repaired and quarantined. It was necessary to visit the website of your Anti-Virus Program for instructions on removal. Basically, you had to follow a detailed prescription for deleting the virus.

Virus detection and removal is different for each strain of virus. Experts identify unusual sequences of instructions in computer code and then develop a fix to verify and remove the virus from your machine. Although most of these are automated, many of us falsely believe that they are taken care of for us. This is not true. We must download the fix from the Internet and follow the instructions. Klez required a complex removal process.

Keep in mind too, that Klez is lying dormant in non-protected machines. That's why it's imperative to run normal maintenance including regular scanning of our computer for viruses. Remember, on July 6th Klez's timer is set to strike again.

So why do people write viruses? Well, Why would someone want to bust the window on your car, or spray paint signs on buildings? A virus is virtual vandalism. Another reason is the thrill. Take for instance the fascination people have with car wrecks and explosions. Creating a virus creates an explosion inside a computer, and the more computers that get infected, the more the fascination.

Yet another reason involves bragging rights. According to Michelle Delio of Wired News, "Klez's creator appears to have released the original worm as a bizarre sort of job application." Interesting way to apply for a job in Computer Security.
And, if you wonder if virus creators are ever caught, David Smith, the creator of "Melissa" (a virus in 2006 that did little to the home computer, but slowed the internet by creating huge amounts of e-mails) was recently jailed for 20 months by a United States court.

If you don't run an anti-virus program, if you've had Klez and aren't sure you've cleaned it correctly or if you're new to computers, get some help. Give me a call and I'll pick up the prescription you'll need.