'Worst virus ever', 'please read', 'very important'... these are the startling words of a message circulating via email - one which internet experts say is another hoax and should be ignored. It went on to say: "Do not open any mails with subject: 'A Virtual Card for You'."
Like the numerous internet hoaxes, the new alert is circulating rapidly because of its seemingly credible wording and proceeds to clog up email systems and even advises people to delete vital data from their hard drive.
Milo Torres, a network engineer working in Dubai for more than six years, explained: "The danger with some hoax virus alerts is that some of them actually ask recipients to delete specific files which turn out to be important to the proper functioning of their computers.
"A sure way to check if a virus alert is real or not is to go to Symantec.com or McAfee.com."
To avoid virus or hacker attacks, it is best to subscribe to a corporate edition of anti-virus and firewall software which downloads virus definition updates in real time.
This costs about Dh250 in an annual subscription, in contrast to a single-use anti-virus software, which needs the user to manually download the updates, which may cost more.
"I think the computer viruses coming out these days are not as insidious as the internet worms before. They're mostly modified copies of previous strains for which antidotes have already been devised," Torres added.
"Many of the computer viruses, which are self-replicating programmes, originate from school campuses and from bright programmers with mischievous intent.
"Some people in the IT industry suspect that the anti-virus community itself may be creating their own viruses just to keep their business alive. But it's just an industry rumour which is hard to prove," said Torres, who is the head trainer of the Filipino Computer Club.
'About.com', a website that deals with internet hoaxes and the online Hoax Encyclopaedia, lists "A Virtual Card for You" message as a classic example of a virus hoax. It warns of a virus that is allegedly the "most destructive ever".
According to the email, the virus destroys the computer's non-existent "Sector Zero" and thus permanently destroys the hard drive. "Hoaxes are a waste of time and money and people should not forward them to others," said Torres.
The bogus warning reads: "A new virus has just been discovered that has been classified by Microsoft and McAfee as the most destructive ever."
"Please distribute this message to the greatest number of people possible. Yesterday in just a few hours this virus caused panic in New York, according to a news broadcast by CNN. This alert was received by an employee of Microsoft itself."
Anti-virus software vendors report that the internet worm Sobig.F was by far the most prevalent virus in recent months.
US-based anti-virus company Central Command says in its monthly "Dirty Dozen" list of most prevalent viruses that the worm Sobig.F accounted for 67.5 per cent of infections reported in September.
Gulf News
