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Thread ID: 14445	2002-01-09 02:27:00	Virus alert a hoax or for real???	Guest (0)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
30375	2002-01-09 02:27:00	Hi helpful people, I've just been emailed a virus alert (which has been via about 100 other people) giving instructions to search for a file called 'sulfnbk.exe'. This I did and found it. The alert instructions say to delete the file and then delete from the recycle bin. However, my 'sulfnbk' (which doesn't have a .exe) shows it's a C/Windows file and is part of the operating system. Can anyone please offer any help? Should it be left or deleted? Thanks in advance for your help. Regards, Lynda	Guest (0)
30376	2002-01-09 02:48:00	Yes, the suflbnk.exe virus warning is a hoax intended to fool people (obviously not as smart as you or me!!!) into deleting a windows file... Well done for spotting it. My advice, reply to the person who sent it to you, admonish them for the idiocy, remind them to treat e-mail the same way they would paper mail (e.g. if this came in the post would I really send it to 200 people??), and advise them to always check virus warnings at www.sarc.com.	Guest (0)
30377	2002-01-09 02:53:00	A good rule of thumb when dealing with emailed virus warnings, is to run a decent virus scanner, keep your virus definitions up to date and ignore them all. If it is a genuine virus threat, by the time people know enough to email you a warning, the virus definitions have already been updated so you are already safe, and if it ISNT a valid warning you dont care anyway do you. Unless you get a message actually signed by someone you know, then the warning is no more than speculation anyhow.	Guest (0)
30378	2002-01-09 03:33:00	Hi Lynda, as you see from the above replies, this is indeed a hoax. I got caught with it last week, deleted the file, my friends deleted the file, I got in all sorts of strife. The advice in the responses is very valid. Just thought I'd mention about your comment that your sulfnbk doesn't have a .exe. It certainly will have, it's just that this is hidden in your current 'View' setup. I find it is helpful to see everything in the folder so I have the option 'view all files' checked and the option 'hide extensions for known file types' unchecked in the View/FolderOptions/View menu in Windows explorer. I advise you do the same as this can often help you to sort out what a particular file does.	Guest (0)
30379	2002-01-09 05:40:00	A couple of sites worth looking at re hoaxes are: www.vmyths.com & www.hoaxbusters.com	Guest (0)
30380	2002-01-09 06:02:00	With a bit of luck the kind person who forwarded that message of doom will have believed it. And acted on it.	Guest (0)
30381	2002-01-09 07:37:00	I got the same email and straight away deleted the email.....I've had so many virus warnings its not funny...90% of them are hoaxes and the rest are received too late for anyone to really do anything about them. Some of the warnings are actually the virus so I suggest you just delete any emails you get about them. If you want to find out more about which viruses are about and which are hoaxes then go to www.symantec.com they have a good listing on viruses and hoaxes and also have a description on each virus telling you what they do etc. I just checked my mail and there was an apology from the person for sending me the hoax too.	Guest (0)
30382	2002-01-09 07:54:00	securityresponse.symantec.com that website is so awesome in finding out hoaxs and what to do if u get that virus on ur system.. check it out that sulfunk (i cant spell) was a total hoax...	Guest (0)
30383	2002-01-09 20:26:00	Have had the same virus alert a few times over the last few months and some of them have come from some interesting people who I thought would have known better. I always go to www.symantec.com before I do anything on virus warnings. i have found that if you keep your anti virus software up to date and work through a good ISP you are pretty safe. Assuming of course that you treat all attachments frompeople you don't know with caution. Most good ISP's have virus updates daily and it is unlikely they will get through to you any new stuff usually hits the headlines news wise quite quickly and alertsd mmost people. People still get caught though. !!	Guest (0)
30384	2002-01-10 02:15:00	Hi, off subject a bit, but those virus warning email's can often contain viruses themselves, because people get them then forward them onto there hole mailing list thinking there helping there friends but instead creating a type of virus itself whether the email carries a virus or not it still clogs up the email system. You should just run a virus protector keep it updated, then you dont need to worry about the emails.	Guest (0)
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